The Orphan
by bookwarm301
Summary: What happens when Kyoya's family takes in an American orphan? one who doesn't seem to like eye contact?when the Ouran High School Host Club finds out about this girl, they're intrigued. they want to get to know her better, but she pushes them all away. it takes weeks before she's able to trust them, and when she does, they find out more and more about her dark past and many talents
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! These are the edited chapters for this story, so I hope it's a bit better. To those who are new, welcome! I hope you enjoy the story.**

"Father, I don't understand," Kyoya says. He was standing in his father's office, trying to keep his composure. "What is the point of this?"

Mr. Ootori sat with his hands folded on top of his desk. He studied his youngest son calmly. "I cannot make myself clearer," he says.

"But what is the point?" Kyoya asks.

Mr. Ootori bit back a smile. Leave it to Kyoya to ask the right questions. "The point is, you are in charge of her well-being while she is here. I do not expect her to stay long, just long enough for some…problems to be dealt with. I expect you to accompany her to and from school, with an armed guard. And should any…problems come up, you are to notify the school security immediately."

Kyoya listened carefully for anything different in his father's voice, but there was nothing but business man in it. "And why is this girl so important to the American government?"

"That would be between the American government and myself," Mr. Ootori says with finality in his tone. "I'm sworn to secrecy, even from my own sons. She will be gone by February, I promise."

Seeing that he truly had no other choice, Kyoya nodded. "Very well father, I will do as you ask." And with that, he walked out of the office.

* * *

"Excuse me, are you miss Alexandria Wright?" a stocky looking chauffeur asked, looking down at Alex with a kind, polite smile.

"That's me," she tells him. She was hugging her journal to herself in one hand and gripping her carry on in the other. She had to mentally tell herself to speak in Japanese. Even though she was very good at it, she wasn't used to speaking in it regularly.

The man smiled. "Please, follow me. The car is waiting."

Trying to keep herself from trembling, Alex followed him. She wasn't surprised that her new host family wasn't greeting her. From what she'd been told, they couldn't be bothered with her. They had more important, rich people things to do than to make sure she got there in person.

The man led her to a long limousine. He took her bag from her and opened the door for me. Steeling her nerves, she climbed into the car.

she opened her journal to write, but she couldn't focus on the words. instead, she stared out the window, watching the scenery go by the window and thinking about where she was going. her new family is supposed to be the most well protected families in the country. for her sake, she hoped so.

* * *

A man was waiting outside of the house with two guards, his hands clasped behind his back, and his glasses reflecting the light. He had dark brown hair and a stern looking demeanor. Already, Alex was starting to feel panicky. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. _Just get through this_ , she tells herself. _You can do it_.

Closing her journal and slipping her pen into her messenger bag, one of her last gifts from her sister, she stepped out of the car.

* * *

Watching from his two story room, Kyoya studied the girl. From here, he couldn't make out much detail, but he could tell that she was thin. She had dark auburn hair that reflected in the sun, and skin that was darkened from the sun. She wore plain jeans and a blue long sleeve shirt. She clutched something that looked like a book to her chest and she wore a messenger bag with some kind of design stitched into the front of it.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Master Kyoya, Miss Wright is here," Sarrii said. "Your father has requested that you and your brothers greet her downstairs."

"Yes, thank you Sarrii," Kyoya says, turning away from the window and following the maid to the living room.

* * *

The house was…well, huge. It had three stories, at least, and it gleamed in the sun. It was a roundish building with windows everywhere. There were cherry blossom trees on the front lawn, though because they weren't in bloom, they were bare.

Alex approached the men on the front walk slowly, trying to tell herself that she was okay. This was only temporary. Every family she stays with is only temporary.

"Alexandria," the man in the middle said as she approached, making her freeze where she stood.

"Yes," she says.

He studied her a moment. "You're not as clean as I would have liked, but I can see that they did good work on you. With the right clothes and perhaps some makeup, you'll be able to pass for the upper class." His voice was cold, distant. Calculating.

Alex forced herself to stay where she was standing, though really wanting to run as far away as possible. "Yes, sir," she says politely.

"And how well are you at speaking Japanese?" he asked.

Alex bowed her head. "I am very capable of speaking Japanese, however because it is not my native language, it does not come as naturally to me."

He nodded, obviously pleased that was one thing that he didn't have to worry about. "And what of table manners?"

Alex bit back the sudden flash of annoyance. What, did this guy think that she was raised by wolves? "I am very well educated Mr. Ootori," she says in a calm and controlled voice.

"Good. I shall expect nothing less, do you understand?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Ootori," Alex responds.

He nods and steps back, allowing a path to the front door. "Then if you will follow me, I will show you your new home."

* * *

Kyoya was probably just as surprised as his brothers at the girls' beauty.

She had bright blue eyes that stood out against her tanned skin. Her hair looked almost black when light wasn't hitting it, and her shirt hugged her body. There was something about her, though, that almost ruined the image. She allowed her hair to fall into her face, like she was trying to hide behind it.

"Alexandria, these are my sons. Akito, Yuuichi and Kyoya. Kyoya goes to the same high school that you will be attending, so you will be expected to come to and from school together." Ootori says without looking at her.

"Yes sir," Alexandria answers without looking at either Kyoya or his father. Kyoya could feel her gaze, though, when he wasn't looking.

After a moment of awkward silence, Akito stepped forward. "Welcome to our home Alexandria," he says. "I hope you will enjoy your time here."

Alexandria seemed slightly taken aback. She even looked up at him. "Th-thank you," she stutters, offering him a small, polite smile. "And please, call me Alex. Everyone else does." She seemed slightly surprised at her own words.

Akito took it in stride, as he always does. "I will," he says with a smile.

Just then, the phone that was clipped to Mr. Ootori's belt chimed. He took it out and studied it a moment before replacing it. "I apologize, but something has come up at the office, and I must attain to it immediately. Alexandria, follow me to your room. Sarii can take it from there."

Nodding, Alex followed him, her hair falling back into her face to make a curtain between herself and the rest of them.

* * *

Alex's first impression of her room: giant.

There was a living area, complete with a set of couches and a flat screen TV, a dresser that came up to her waist that took up almost an entire wall, plus a walk-in closet. There was an entire wall of just windows that looked out onto the garden, and on closer inspection, she saw that they were doors that led into the garden. A set of stairs led up to a loft where the bed was, along with an arm chair and a shelf above the bed that was built into the wall.

As Alex and Mr. Ootori walked into the room, she took all of this in, trying to hide just how surprised she was. It took her a moment to notice that there was a small woman standing in her room, smiling at her. She had a round face with kind brown eyes and blonde hair. She smiled kindly at Alex, who avoided her gaze.

"Alexandria, this is Sarrii, our head maid. Should you need anything, please ask her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll let you settle in," Mr. Ootori said before leaving.

"Well!" the maid said in a bubbly voice. "It's so nice to have you here, miss. Do you need any help unpacking?"

That was probably an understatement. The room was filled with boxes that had been sent in advance of her arrival. Books and pictures filled most of them, as Alex didn't have much need for a whole lot of clothes. Most of the time, people didn't notice if she wore the same jeans for a month. Here, however, she felt that it would probably be a sin to do such a thing. She made a mental note to fix that, if she could.

Now, she didn't expect to stay long. She never did. She was surprised that she was able to collect this many things in New York before she was moved here. Then again, Molly had given most of it to her from Good Will's and thrift shops around the area. Almost everything she had was a hand-me-down. Even her beloved camera wasn't new. They'd long since stopped making the model, but she was too stubborn to get a new one. Not that she had the money for it, anyway. Besides, her and this camera had been through a lot.

And even though Sarrii looked like a very nice woman, Alex needed time to soak all of this in.

She cleared her throat. "Actually, I think I'd rather have some time to myself. You know, jet leg and all."

Sarrii nodded in sympathy. "I understand sweetie. Just yell if you need anything." she patted Alex gently on the shoulder, almost making her jump, even though there was nothing threatening in her gesture. And if she noticed Alex's unease, she didn't show it.

Once Alex was alone, she sat down heavily on the couch. Was she really here? In Japan? In a rich family's house? Was she really going to start at a new, fancy, rich school tomorrow? It just didn't seem real.

Slowly, she started to make her way through the boxes. Most of them were filled with books. She took out a few of her favorites and set them on the shelf above her bed. The rest she left in their boxes, seeing that she would never have enough room for all of them.

She unpacked some of her little trinkets and set them on the dresser. She had a few tiny statues of owls and wolves, two of her favorite animals. She added pictures to it, the ones she had framed. There was the one of her and her choir friends that they'd given her before she left as a good-bye present. The frame said "Music is in the Heart" one of their favorite sayings. Around it and on the back, they'd all written little messages to her, telling her how she had to stay in touch and tell them how Japan was and what kind of music they had here and that she better keep up singing or else they were going to come for her. Then there was a similar one from the orchestra she had been a part of, and another from her acting group. There was the one taken of all of the kids in her last foster home, all of the kids smiling at the camera, even Evan, who rarely smiled. Alex's own face smiled up at her from the picture, wedge between the two little girls who lived there.

Alex's heart ached looking at them. She already missed them so much. She made a mental note to send pictures and letters to everyone that she could.

There were the pictures of the ones Ally and Adam had sent to her over the years—Ally pretending to lean against the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Adam at the mast of a giant ship, doing the Titanic pose, his arms open wide like he was going to give someone a huge hug, his hair blowing in the wind. Some of her favorite pictures of her brother and sister. Her most favorite thing about them, though, were the little quirky notes her siblings had written on the photos.

Shaking her head at them, she unpacked the little clothes she had, only to see that the drawers were already stocked full of clothes. Frilly looking shirts and dresses ad designer jeans. Sighing, she added her own, ratter New York clothes to them, knowing that she would want to be comfortable at some point in her life. Looking into the closet, she found a series of pale yellow dresses, black shoes under them and white stockings in a drawer next to them. Her school uniform, she guessed. Great.

Sighing, she moved on to more boxes, finding more little statues and pictures. Then she found a small box filled with her CD collection. Feeling some relief, she went over to the TV, putting a CD into the DVD player and hitting play. Immediately, soothing music started to play from the speakers. She turned it down so that it was only background music, but she felt better having it there.

She went back to work unpacking, wishing she was back home, wherever that may be.

* * *

Kyoya was working on some Host Club things in his room when he heard the music.

It was soft, muffled, but it was there. Frowning, he stood and walked into the hallway, wondering where it was coming from.

The door next to his was cracked open slightly, light pouring out of it. That was where the music was coming from.

Completely confused, Kyoya inched closer. As far as he knew, the room next to his was an empty guest room. Tamaki had stayed in it a number of times. As he pushed open the door slightly, he saw that the room was now filled with boxes. The music was coming from a disc that was playing in the DVD player. On one side of the room, Alex was unpacking the backpack she'd brought with her from America. She set an old looking laptop on the desk along with a camera. She was humming along to the music, and he could see that she was smiling a little.

Perplexed, Kyoya continued to watch her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she pulled out another thing from her bag. It looked like a picture frame. She sighed looking down at it, her face sad.

"I've made it to Japan, Mom," she says in English. "Just like you always wanted. I only wish we were here together."

The look on Alex's face was so sad and so…naked. Kyoya felt as if he were seeing something he shouldn't, so he gently closed the door and headed back to his room, thinking about what he had just seen.

 **Well there you are! hope you liked it.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Jet leg was a bitch, Alex decided. She'd just been able to get to sleep when the maid came in.

Sarrii turned on all of the lights and opened the blinds to her windows. Groaning, Alex rolled over and buried her face into her pillow.

"Now, now miss, it's time to get up and get ready for school," Sarri said.

She forced herself to sit up. She'd moved to the couch in the middle of the night, as the bed was much too big and much too cozy. Not at all what she was used to. Besides, the room itself was a little large for her liking. Sarrii smiled sympathetically at her and patted her on the shoulder. "I know miss. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Now go take a shower and get dressed."

Alex made an undisguisable reply and headed for the bathroom, grateful that she hadn't asked her why she was on a couch and not in her bed.

A good hot shower woke her right up. When she got out she found one of the uniform dresses and stockings hanging on the door. With a sigh, she got dressed.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Sarrii was waiting. She smiled at Alex when she came in, and her eyes landed on the golden locket hanging from Alex's neck.

"What's that?" she asked pointing to it curiously.

Flushing, she ducked her head and tucked the locket under the neckline of her dress. "Nothing," she murmured. "Just a gift."

Sarrii, though obviously curious, didn't press the subject. "Sit, sit," she said, ushering to the couch. Alex did so obediently, though against her conscience. However Sarrii had been so nice to her, so she wasn't going to refuse now.

Sarrii picked up Alex's hair brush and started to brush through Alex's hair. "I always find it relaxing to have someone else brush my hair. It calms the nerves," she said.

Alex's throat closed up. "That's…that's what Mom always said." Alex was surprised by her words. She'd never opened up to a stranger like that. Never.

But Sarrii chuckled. "Then your mother must have been a very wise woman." Alex couldn't help but smile a little at that and closed her eyes as Sarrii continued to brush her hair.

When Alex walked into foyer, Kyoya zeroed in on her. The dress flattered her, he noticed. She didn't look like an orphan, thankfully. Not too many people should question her.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Kyoya asked. he didn't want to have to wait on her.

Without looking at him, she nodded.

"Very well, then we shall be going."

As they were heading out the door, Kyoya's cell phone rang. He sighed when he saw who it was.

Alex glanced at him curiously. She could hear someone yelling franticly on the other end, but the boy remind clam and thoughtful.

"Shouldn't that be your job Tamaki?" Kyoya asked, sounding exasperated. He motioned for Alex to get into the car while he stayed on the phone. Reluctantly she did, sliding to the far side of the car. However she could still hear him talking outside. "I don't see why it's such a big deal. Haurhi can just stay home."

Another pause. Alex could swear that she could hear yelling from the other person on the phone.

Finally, Kyoya sighed. "Alright, but you owe me." then he hung up and got into the car. "Change of plans," he told the driver. "We're going to pick up Haruhi." The driver didn't even seem to have to ask who that was. Apparently this Haurhi person was around a lot.

Great. Just what she needed right now. Another rich kid to judge her. Wouldn't she get that enough today already? Did it have to be so early in the morning?

They drove in silence, though Kyoya didn't seem to mind. Alex's brain wouldn't shut up, though. Was he looking at her? It kinda felt like it, but then again it always felt like someone was watching her. Did he think she was strange? Well of course he did. She just showed up into his life with little explanation. He could hardly think her normal. Was he waiting for her to talk?

No, that much was obvious. He seemed just as comfortable with being in his own thoughts as Alex did. At least they had that in common.

Eventually, they stopped at an apartment complex. People stopped and stared at the car in awe, and Alex wondered why they were in such a, well, plain place. She wouldn't think that Kyoya would associate himself with commoners.

Thunder rumbled suddenly above them. Alex looked up out of her window and saw dark clouds headed towards them. Looked like it was going to be a stormy day. That could be either a good or bad sign for her.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open and girl jumped in, looking like she was trying desperately to get away from something. That was a look that Alex knew well.

Her sudden appearance made Alex jump as much as the girl did when the next clap of thunder sounded. She was trying to hide her fear, but she wasn't doing it very well.

Kyoya closed the door behind her just as it started to pour down rain. The girl curled up, covering her ears with her hands.

"Good morning Haurhi," Kyoya said calmly, as if this were a usual thing.

Huarhi didn't seem to hear him. She still had her hands over her ears, looking terrified. It was obvious that it was the thunder that she was afraid of, which was odd to Alex. Thunderstorms to her are safe havens. They always have been, even before her parents died. She remembers that Mom used to say that when she was a baby, the only way they could get her to stop crying was to play the sounds of a storm. And when a real one hit the house, it was always the calmest she'd be. Unlike her brother and sister, who were both afraid of them until they were eight.

But she knows what it's like to be so terrified of something that you can't even move. She knows what it feels like to be thrown into it unwillingly. So she leaned over and tapped the girl on her arm. She was sitting right across from her, so it wasn't hard.

Jumping slightly, she looked up, and Alex saw that she was trying to fight tears. She gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You know, a good way to ignore it is to think about a happy memory or listen to some music. Or you can think of it as all of the spirits and angels in heaven having a bowling tournament."

To her surprise, she laughed. She relaxed slightly, but it was enough to be seen. "A bowling tournament?" she asked.

Alex nodded. "It could be, like, a running story. You keep up with the score in your head. One day the sprits might win, and another the angels. The really big claps of thunder is someone getting a strike, and the lightening is the victory lights. And when it starts to get really distant, it all comes down to one team, one very far away."

Haruhi stared at her, then smiled. "Where did you come up with that?"

Alex shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "Um…just now," she mutters.

Haurhi laughed. She seemed completely at ease now, even as the storm raged on around them. She jumped and paled a little whenever thunder sounded, but she seemed to visibly be trying to control her fear. "I'm Haurhi Fujioka."

"Alex Wright."

She narrowed her eyes at her slightly, but in a curious way. "You're American, aren't you?"

"What gave me away?" Alex said with a small laugh.

"Alexandria is staying with my family for the time being," Kyoya cuts in. "as a favor. She'll be attending Ouran while she's here."

That was all. It was clear that he was leaving the details up to her.

"So you're a foreign exchange student?" she asked, just as another big clap of thunder sounded. She jumped and whimpers.

Alex's head cocked to the side. "I think that was the angels striking, don't you think?"

Haurhi smiled, but it was shaky. "And to answer your question, yes I am an exchange student, of some sort," Alex says.

She could see Haurhi's confusion to her answer, but she was polite enough to not press into the subject. Really, Alex thinks that she was still terrified of the thunder.

"Who do you think is playing? Honestly, I think that Shakespeare is captain of his team. Or maybe Dickens," she says.

Haurhi snorted a laugh.

"I'm serious! I mean, anyone who can write like they can could be pro bowlers and they just didn't want anyone to know."

She was giggling now, and Alex smiled. Wow. That was the first time she really smiled ever since she left New York six months ago. There was something about Haurhi that just made her automatically comfortable around. Besides, she don't like seeing other people afraid. She knows first-hand what true terror feels like, and she hates to see someone go through that. If she can help them, she will.

* * *

When they arrived at the school, Alex couldn't help but stare. It was a series of pink buildings with a huge courtyard in front. There was a giant fountain in the middle and awnings on the side where a few students stood to avoid the rain. There was a giant pink clock tower that seemed to me the main focus of the school. No matter where you stood, you could always see it.

There was a boy waiting for them when they drove up. He was extremely tall and with a mop of blond hair and violet eyes. He had a look of extreme worry in his eyes as the car pulled up. The driver got out with an umbrella and held the door open for the group.

Kyoya was the first to get out, followed by Haurhi. Immediately, the blond was there. "My darling!" he exclaimed, taking her hand. "Are you alright? You're not too frightened are you? Oh I told you to stay home!"

Haurhi snatched her hand back, though she looked pale and shaken still. And when lightening flashed and thunder crashed, she jumped but mostly kept her composure. "I'm fine, senpai," Haurhi said with a shaking voice.

The blond opened his voice to respond, but that was when Alex got out of the car. His eyes landed on her and they widened. "Who's this Kyoya?" he asked.

Alex kept her head down, a habitual gesture. She didn't answer, as the question wasn't directed towards her.

"This is Alexandria Wright," Kyoya responded, his voice deadpanned. "She will be attending Ouran for a time. Now if you will excuse us, I am supposed to escort her to the Chairman's office."

Haurhi turned to Alex and gave her a small smile. "It was so nice to meet you, Alex. Thank you for your advice. I hope to see you later on."

Alex look up at the other girl and gave her a brief smile. "You too, Haurhi."

"Alexandria, this way," Kyoya was saying. He was already beginning to walk away.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Alex followed him.

Kyoya led Alex down a series of corridors with so many twist and turns that there's no way she was ever going to be able to remember where to go on her own.

Finally, though, they came to a set of pink double doors. He knocked sharply once before stepping back. Alex peeked curiously over his shoulder, just as the doors opened.

A stocky looking man stood to the side of one of the doors, his hand still on the handle. He looked at Kyoya then stepped back. "It's Kyoya Ootori, sir and," he looked down at Alex with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "A girl."

"Very well send them in," a voice says from inside.

The two walk in, and the man shuts the door behind him, making Alex flinch slightly.

"Ah, Kyoya, what can I do for you today? And so early in the morning?" a man sitting behind a big oak desk asked. He was older looking with tidy brown hair and a kind but business like face. He greeted Kyoya as if they were friends.

Then he spotted Alex, hidden half-way behind Kyoya. "And who is this young lady?"

"This is Alexandria Wright. I assume my father has spoken to you about her," Kyoya says in a pleasant like voice.

"Ah, yes, the American transfer student." The man stood and walked around his desk to get a better look at Alex. Kyoya took a step to the side to allow him a better look.

Suddenly, all Alex wanted to do was run. She wanted to get as far away from this man and this boy with his cold stare and calculations. She wanted to get away from this man and his curious gaze. She wanted to jump into the ocean and swim all the way back to America.

But she couldn't do that, because then they would find her and they would send her right back, or even worse they'll send her to Antarctica to study penguins. Not that she had anything against penguins. Just a vast expanse of icy nothingness.

So she fought back her urge to run and clasped her hands in front of her to keep them from shaking. She put on her best stage smile, thanking Mrs. G for all the acting lessons. "Hello sir," Alex said, bowing.

The man chuckled softly. "Hello young lady. I am Chairman Suoh, but you can call me Chairman," he said. Then he turned to Kyoya. "We'll settle Miss Wright's papers and classes here. Thank you for showing her here. You are dismissed." And with a bow to the Chairman, Kyoya turned and left without another glance at Alex.

Nice guy.

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry if this one is a bit long for anyone's taste, but I did the best I could while editing.**

 **Enjoy!**

By the time it was time for lunch, Alex was exhausted. She'd spent a majority of her morning trying really hard not to be noticed by everyone, but that was hard considering she seemed to be the topic of the day. People would come up to ask her questions—questions that were all too personal. Every time someone came up to her, she would freeze up, not knowing what to do or say. It'd been so long since she'd started a new school without Adam or Ally by her side, she'd forgotten how to even begin to speak to people properly. They were always the ones to start conversations and she was always the one to finish them.

But now…

She didn't know what to do.

She couldn't very well answer their questions—where did she come from? Where was she living now? What business were her parents in?—without lying, and lying was not something that came easily to her. Pretending to be someone else on stage was one thing, but straight up lying was something else.

When the bell rang for lunch, Alex let out a relived breath. From what she understood, she didn't have to go to lunch. So she sat there waiting for the classroom to empty out. By this time, she believed, most everyone had figured out that she didn't want to be bothered.

The room was just about empty when Alex heard, "Hey, new girl, aren't you coming?"

Alex was glad that her back was to the door so they couldn't see her flinch. It sounded like the red-headed boy that sat next to her.

"You're not going to miss out on lunch are you?" a slightly different voice said.

Before she even had a chance to respond, they were on either side of her. "Come on, the food here isn't so bad." The twin with the higher voice said.

Alex kept her head down, wishing they would go away. Her stomach, however, betrayed her. Just the thought of food made it growl like a wild animal, making the twins laugh. "Come on, little American." They say in perfect unison, reaching to help her up. Alex jumps up before they can put a hand on her.

They jump back in surprise, but quickly recover their composure. "So you've decided to come with us then?" they ask.

Without answering, Alex heads towards the door, where Haurhi was watching and waiting. She offered Alex a small smile before moving out into the hallway with Alex and the twins behind her.

Alex walked a few paces behind the trio, watching them curiously. Haurhi walked in between them, and they acted almost as if they were her guards or something. Alex admired how the other girl was able to completely ignore the twin's antics. She seemed to be used to their jokes and teasing. Mostly, she seemed to find them mildly annoying, but there was a bond between the three that was a rare case. Alex had noticed it even while they had been in class that morning. They just seemed to be, well, a team.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed a small blond headed boy runnin towards her until it was too late.

 _Bam!_

A body slammed into Alex, throwing her off her train of thought as well as her feet. She fell back onto the ground with a loud _oof!_

For a moment, she just lies there, too stunned to move, waiting. It took her a moment to realize that she was in Japan at a privet academy and that it was very unlikely for anyone to randomly start picking fights with her here like it was in, well, any place she's ever lived in since she was twelve. She also realized that there was someone towering over her, or rather, over the boy who had run into her.

The taller boy—because he was much, much taller than the boy she'd collided with—was dark haired and stone faced. He'd look almost bored if it weren't for the slight concern in his eyes. He was bending over the boy next to her, picking him up like he weighed nothing and setting him on his feet. For a moment, Alex thought that she was seeing things from hitting her head, but no. This boy really was the size of a seven year old. He had a shock of bright blond hair and wide, child-like brown eyes. If it weren't for the uniform, she would have thought that he was in elementary school.

"You have to be more careful, Mitsukuni," the tall one said in a deep voice.

The smaller boy shook his head as if he were clearing it, then he focused in on her, as if just realizing he'd run into someone.

For a moment, the only emotion on his face was absolute guilt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" he seeing genially concerned for her well-being. What really took Alex by surprise was how childish even his voice sounded. Slowly, she pushed herself up into sitting position so that she was almost eye level with him.

"I'm alright," Alex answered, standing and brushing off her dress.

"Wait, hang on I know you, you're the new American transfer aren't you?" the little boy said, looking at her with a whole new interest.

Had her arrival spread so quickly?

"Yes," she answered. She'd learned a long time ago that it was best to give short answers. Better to not tell anyone too much.

The boy grinned up at her. "I'm Haninozuka, but you can call me Honey!" he exclaimed brightly.

Wow. He's reminding Alex more and more of a seven year old.

"Um, I'm Alex," Alex said, a bit lamely. She did not know what to do about this boy's enthusiasm. Why did he seem so excited about names?

"Nice to meet you! This is Morinozuka but everyone calls him Mori," Honey gestured to the tall guy standing next to him, who had been silent the entire conversation, staring out the window with a blank look on his face. He looked over at the when he heard his name and his eyes rested on Alex.

"Nice to meet you," he said in a deep, dead panned voice.

"Uh, you too," Alex responded. There was something about this boy that gave her the chills, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"So where were you going Arekku-chan?" Honey asked, still smiling like a little kid.

Alex was taken aback at that. Arekku-chan…that was her name in Japanese. At last a form of it anyway, she was pretty sure. Why would he be calling her that?

Just then there was a sound of duel laughter around them. "Gotten yourself in trouble on your first day, huh American?" one of the twins asked, suddenly appearing over her. Then, without giving Alex time to stop them, they each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her to her feet. She yanked herself out of their grips, though, hugging arms to herself.

"Oh, was Arekku-chan with you two?" Honey asked.

"We were just heading to lunch," Haurhi said. She was standing by Mori, not seeming to be intimidated at all by his blank face.

"Yay, so where we! We can all go together. Come on, Arekku-chan!" Honey grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the lunch room.

To her own surprise, she let him. There was something about him that reminded her of all of the little kids she's had to take care of over the past four years. Somehow, she didn't mind him touching her.

The twins and Haurhi followed, the twins laughing together as they watched Alex get pulled down the hallway. Glancing over her shoulder, Alex saw Mori strolling leisurely behind them, obviously not worried about getting lost or losing them. He had his hands in his pockets and still had that same bored expression on his face.

It didn't take long to get to the lunch room.

"Here we are!" Honey exclaimed, bursting into the room. A group of girls who were closest to the door giggled and blushed when Honey and Mori walked in. They were obviously well known at the school.

"We're glad you didn't get lost," one of the twins said. It was the one with the higher, less musky voice. Alex had no idea which one sat beside her. They looked exactly the same.

"you know that would be bad," his brother said.

"Because of the ghost,"

"That haunts this school."

"It preys on new students who lose their way." High Voice went on.

"One day a new student disappears,"

"And is never seen again."

"The only person who's ever survived,"

"Is Nekozawa senpai," high voice pointed over to the only dark corner in the whole room, where a boy in dark robes was sitting. He had black hair and a cat puppet on his hand. Around him were even more goth-looking people, all of them having that same kind of dark aura around them.

"And look what happened to him."

Alex looked back and forth between the twins as they told their story. They had creepy smirks on their faces and were staring at her, waiting for her reaction.

But Alex only gave them her small smile. "That's a nice story," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment it's silent in their little group before the twins frown down at her. "Believe it or not, it's true."

Alex bit down a laugh, then frowned. She hadn't wanted to laugh in…well a while. Strange. She shrugged it off and looked past the twins at Haurhi, who was shaking her head at the twins.

"You guys shouldn't try to do that to new students. And you know very well why Nekozawa senpai has to dress like that," she said.

The twins ignored her, keeping their attention on Alex. "Do you believe in ghost, little American?"

Okay, she was not that small. She knew that she was skinny, but really. Did they have to use that word?

Thankfully, though, she was saved from answering by a voice saying, "Well would you look at that?"

Honey—who had been largely ignoring them and eating cake he'd somehow managed to get—turned and smiled. "Kyo-chan! Tama-chan!" he waved at them.

Ah, so that's what he calls just about everyone.

The rest of them turned as well, seeing Kyoya and the blond from this morning walking up behind them. The blond was smiling handsomely, and Alex didn't miss how every single girl turned to gawk at him as he passed. Ugh.

"Well, isn't this wonderful! The whole club together during recess! It just warms my heart," he put both of his hands over his heart, closed his eyes and was somehow able to make the entire movement look very dramatic. It also made all those girls swoon. Double ugh.

Alex took a slight step back from him, eyeing him wearily. She hadn't had much time to get to know this boy this morning, but what she had seen was nothing like this. He'd been concerned and, well, serious at the time.

It was then that he spotted Alex. His expression brightened even more, if that were possible. "Why, you're getting to know our new student! Excellent!" he walked right up to her and bowed. "Princess, I don't believe I had the pleasure of properly introducing myself this morning. My name is Tamaki Suoh," he took her hand, making her jump in surprise, "and I want to personally welcome you to our wonderful school, and to thank you for helping our little Haurhi." He said the last part in a whisper and threw her a wink, like they were sharing a privet joke or something.

But that's wasn't what she was focusing on.

Without thinking much, she snatched her hand out of his, taking several steps back. Around her, she could hear multiple gasps coming from the on-looking girls.

Tamaki looked up in surprise. Everyone was looking at her with startled expressions, save for Kyoya. Even Mori look a little aghast. Kyoya just looked like he was watching an entertaining play.

"Please," Alex said, her voice shaking slightly. She took a breath and told herself to remember what her acting teacher had told her about speaking like no one was in the room. "Don't touch me. And don't call me 'princess.' I'm nothing of the sort." She couldn't take it. She couldn't take someone else calling her that, no matter who it was.

Tamaki straightened and turned serious again. "My apologies," he says in a kind voice. "However, you must know that I find ever single girl is a princess because they are all beautiful like one."

Alex shook her head. She could her murmurs around her. She was aware that everyone was watching her and staring and probably thinking she was mad, but she didn't care. She was thankful that she was still so close to the door; she started backing towards it. "No. don't say that. Don't lie to my face. Don't say something you don't mean. Just…don't." and with that, she ran out of the room, desperate to get away from the stares and the whispers and the lies. Desperate to be anywhere but at that school. Desperate to get away.

The Host Club stood in shock as the American ran out of the door, her hair flying in a dark curtain around her.

Tamaki turned to Kyoya, who looked as if he'd just made an interesting discovery. "Did I do something wrong?"

Kyoya shrugged, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I don't know why you expect me to know that."

"But isn't she…"

"Alexandria has lived under the Ootori roof not even twenty four hours. She flew in from America just yesterday," Kyoya says.

"Wait, so Alex is living with you, Ootori?" one of the nearby students asked.

"Yes, as a favor, my father is housing her," Kyoya left it at that, knowing that saying anything more wouldn't be smart.

The rest of the members of the club glanced at each other. This was new information to them. "Um, guys I don't mean to interrupt, but shouldn't someone go after Alex?" Haurhi asked when she saw that Tamaki was about to answer Kyoya's remark.

"Go ahead," Kyoya said, sounding bored. "I doubt she'll get very far, though, seeing as how little she knows her way around."

Tamaki frowned. "We really should—" he started but Haurhi stepped in front of him before he could even move towards the door.

"No offense senpai, but I don't think you're the person she wants to see right now. I'll go find her," Haurhi said in her no-nonsense tone.

Tamaki looked slightly hurt, but he also knew that she was right. For whatever reason, he'd upset the girl. She probably didn't want to be around him.

As Haurhi left, the rest chose a table to sit at together. "You know what I don't understand," Kaoru says, taking a bite of his lunch, "is why she ran out. It can't be because the boss held her hand."

"Maybe it's what he said," Honey said, happily taking a bite of cake.

The others turned to look at him. "What do you mean Honey senpai?"

"Didn't you notice how she got upset when Tama-chan called her a princess?" Honey said in his complete innocent tone. He took another bite of cake. "I think it had something to do with that."

The others looked at each other. It was possible, though why would a girl react that way when being called princess? Or beautiful?

"She did say 'don't lie'," Kaoru said thoughtfully.

"And she did seem to really not like the princess thing," Hiakru went on.

Tamaki sat back, his lunch untouched. He didn't like the idea of upsetting a girl like that, guest or not. He wished he could make it up to her, but he didn't know how.

Folding his hands under his chin, he leaned forward. "Hikaru, Kaoru, I have a mission for you."

* * *

Alex ran until her vision blurred from tears and she tripped over her own feet.

She put out her hands to slow her fall, but that didn't do much. She bumped her elbow and knees against the concrete and was just able to keep her head from joining them.

She was outside, so her dress and stockings were ruined. She could feel the water sapping into the fabric and the cold concrete in the holes at her knees. Wincing, she pushed herself up off of the ground. She'd skimmed her knees as well as her hands. Little pink gashes were visible on her palms and her kneed were bloodier than she'd liked. Great. Just what she needed right now.

But she couldn't shake the feeling from earlier, the feeling of being cornered, helpless. Why did that boy have to say those things? Why did he have to lie to her? Why do they all have to lie to her? She's been lied to for so long now, she would think that she would be unaffected by it, but that wasn't the case.

Alex forced herself to keep walking, even though all she wanted to do was collapse. Her lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her, and her overrun emotions were making things worse. She didn't really know where she was going, but she knew that she couldn't face her class now. Not after what had happened. Not looking like this.

Thankfully, she spotted a stone gazebo covered in rose vines. She ducked into it and sat down gratefully on the bench. There she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. Why couldn't she just be a normal girl? Any other girl would have been praising heaven above if a guy like Tamaki even looked at them. And then she goes and runs off when he was so obviously trying to pay her a compliment. Most girls would have swooned just to have him catch her. Most girls would not have called him a liar and run out of the room.

Why couldn't she be twelve again? When her worst problems were about what to wear to the next school dance and who was going to be her date for the night. When she was ignorant to the world that did not exist outside of her small little town.

"Alex?" a voice cut into Alex's inner self-loathing. She looked up and saw Haurhi standing a foot or two away, obviously trying to be cautious in case she hadn't calmed down yet.

Quickly, Alex whipped at her eyes. She hated crying in front of people. It showed weakness, and that was one thing she couldn't afford to let anyone see. If anything, the past four years have taught her that. "Haurhi," she was mortified at how her voice cracked. She ducked her head, fighting back even more tears. She was vaguely aware that she'd started trembling again. It became harder to breathe. Her heart was racing.

Suddenly, a paper bag was being pressed into her hand and lifted to her mouth. "Just breathe," Haurhi said calmly, gently. She had a hold on Alex's wrist, keeping the bag to her mouth. Alex did what she was told, closing her eyes tightly, feeling the wetness of her tears on her hand. "It's alright," Haurhi said, gently putting a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Just concentrate on breathing." Alex clung to those words. She clung to Haurhi's calm demeanor and her steadiness. After a few moments of deep breathing, Alex calmed down.

God, it had been so long since that had happened. So long since her last attack. The last time she'd been huddled in a ditch, on the run. The police found her, eventually. They always did. But that was when she was sent to New York where Adam was, so it hadn't been all bad.

"Are you alright?" Haurhi asked, sounding genuinely concerned for her. "Do you need anything?"

Alex shook her head. She didn't have the medicine she usually took after a panic attack with her anyway. Because she'd just gotten to Japan just recently, Mr. Ootori hadn't gotten her a refill on it yet.

"Are you sure," Haurhi was frowning.

Alex tried for a smiled but was afraid it looked more like a grimace. "Yes. I'm sorry—" Alex cut herself off when she realized she was speaking in English. She cleared her throat and stared over. "I'm sorry Haurhi. That you had to see that, I mean." And she was. She was mortified at herself over it. She braced herself for the questions, the assumptions, the accusations.

But none of them came. Instead, Haurhi handed her a handkerchief. "You know, I think there's an extra uniform up in the club room. We can go up there and get you cleaned up. I think there's a first aid kit in there too," Haurhi said.

Alex looked up at her in surprise. Slowly, she took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. She nodded to Haurhi, saying she accepted her offer.

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is where the new stuff comes in, so anyone who may be re-reading should look out for that.**

When Alex got home that evening, after waiting an agonizing four hours after school ended for Kyoya to get done with his club, she was ready to spend some time to herself. She still had no idea what it was that that club did. Haurhi had tried to explain it to her, but she hadn't followed very well.

Thankfully, when Kyoya had finally found her in one of the too crowded libraries, he was alone. She didn't think she could stand his friends at the time. It had been hard enough to sit so close to the twins, who seemed more interested in her than they had before. Haurhi had finally gotten them to leave her alone, but the whole thing had been exhausting and embarrassing.

When she got to her room, she found the door standing wide open. Frowning, as she had not left it like that this morning and she didn't take kindly to people messing with her things, she peeked inside.

"Ah, Alexandria," Mr. Ootori said. He was sitting on the white couch that faced the TV, his back straight and his feet flat on the floor. The picture of a perfect businessman. Alex walked in slowly, not sure what to say or do.

"Have a seat, Alexandria," he said, motioning to the chair across from him. Alex made her way to the chair, her spine tingling the way it always did whenever she knew something of hers wasn't in its right place. Glancing around, she saw what was new and what was missing. Sitting on her desk was a fancy-looking machine that she itched to figure out what it did. But there were multiple pictures missing on her dresser, ones that she knew for a fact were of her brother and sister.

Trying to contain her annoyance, she sank into the chair and folded her hands in her lap politely.

"I see that you've noticed the missing photographs," he says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, just like Kyoya.

Alex didn't say anything. She just looked at him with what she hoped was a blank expression.

"Yes, well I figured that it would be better if you didn't have those out. Sarrii already noticed, and it's best if no one else knew of your…siblings." Mr. Ootori's voice was businesslike and final. Alex knew that there was no room for argument, though she had to ask: "Why?"

Mr. Ootori leaned forward, his eyes level with hers. "You must understand, Alexandria that you are here because I owe Mr. Cray. He has assured me that you will be gone in a few months and my debt will be paid. However while you are here, you're presence will most likely not go unnoticed by my collogues and the press. It is best if they do not know that you have siblings, or else they will question why they are not here as well. Do you understand?"

She did. If Mr. Ootori's clients found out that he had taken in one orphan but not her siblings, it would be a question of judgment. He has plenty of money to provide for them all, so there really was no reason not to. None that any of them would know about, anyway. So not even the maids can know that Alex has siblings. Not Kyoya, not his brothers. No one.

"And as for this," he motioned over to the machine on her desk. "This is a gift from Mr. Cray and the others, as was the cell phone."

Alex understood then. They wanted her to be quiet about Ally and Adam. They wanted her to be too busy with her new little toys to be trouble. They wanted her to do what she always did, and that was be invisible. _Don't mess up Mr. Ootori's business. Don't get in his way._

 _Pretend like you don't exist._

Alex bowed her head to hide the hurt and betrayal she felt. These people said that they wanted to help her. But no. they were stuck with her. Just like everyone before them. She was nothing but a burden.

"I understand, Mr. Ootori. Thank you," she said, keeping her voice neutral the way she always did with adults. It was just better that way.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," he said, standing. He walked past her chair and towards the door, but he stopped before he walked out. "Oh, and you have a letter waiting for you." her head snapped up at that. So soon? How did they even get her new address? She heard the door close, and she couldn't help but flinch from the sound.

 _Dear Lexie,_

 _SURPRISE!  
_

 _Didn't think you'd hear from me so soon now did you? I annoyed Natalie and Jack so much that they finally cracked. Go ahead, say it. I'm amazing. You have to admit that._

 _Now, down to the details. WHAT IS JAPAN LIKE?! Is it as beautiful as Mom said it was? Are there a lot of people? What's the music like? What's the art like? TELL ME EVERYTHING! What's your new house like? The school? The family? the FOOD? Ohmygoodness, I bet the food is great. I better get pictures. I mean, lots of pictures. I want to see your class, I want to see the school, I want to see the food!_

 _Oh, gosh I hope you're doing okay. I know you were really starting to like New York. I know you were starting to find a life there. When I visited, you seemed the happiest I've seen you in…well a long long time. Honestly I think it as crule to move you to Japan so suddenly. I mean, all the way across the world? it seems a bit rash, even for the U.S. government. Then again, what do I know? I just hope that you're well and doing alright. Are you taking you meds? Oh, no, I hope not because that means that you've been having attacks and that will be terrible. You're not having attacks are you? oh God, you are. Of course you are, you've been thrown into a situation without knowing anything about what was going on. please remember to breath, Lexie. I don't want a repeat of last year. God, please don't have a repeat last year Lexie. Stay at the house. Let people know what's going on. find friends. For the sake of your health, sis, please._

 _Okay, I'll stop with the worrying. I know you. you won't put yourself through that. you won't will you? okay, no, stop worrying. Are you worried? I'm not worried._

 _Maybe I' a little worried._

 _Seriously, Lexie, tell me everything. All your feelings, your thoughts. All the stuff you're too scared to tell anyone else._

 _Speaking of, I have to tell you about something that happened while we were in Venice yesterday…_

Ally's letter went on to talk about a giant mob scene that happened right in the middle of the city, nearly sending her screaming off a bridge (almost literally. She was almost pushed off of a bridge during the whole scene). Then it ended with her telling Alex to write ASAP and tell her everything that was going on.

Alex couldn't help but roll her eyes at her sister. She was also so hyper and energetic, the exact opposite of Alex. She also worried too much, which was one thing they had in common. Ever since their parents died, they've all worried too much about each other. The story about the mob had Alex's heart racing and her blood pumping with a fierce protectiveness of her sister, even though she knew that Ally had made it through, seeing as she'd written and sent the letter.

Alex loved her with all her heart. Ally always started her letters with something to try and make Alex laugh or smile. Then she got into the real questions that she wanted to ask Alex, things she absolutely HAD to know. she always got everything she wanted Alex to tell her out of the way, mostly about Alex's welfare, before she got into anything about herself.

Ally always seemed to be able to read her mind, even when she was writing a letter that Alex would get for days. It was a weird little trait that they all shared.

Smiling a little, Alex started on her letter.

 _Dear Ally,_

 _I've said it before and I'll say it again, you need to calm down. Like, do yoga or something._

 _Anyway, to answer your multitude of questions, it is beautiful here. I mean, pictures do NOTHING to capture this place. Of course, I've only been from the airport to the house to school and back. But what I've seen has been really cool. I did get some pictures, but you're going to have to wait for them. I know, I know, I'm terrible, but I haven't gotten as many as I'd like, so you'll have to wait. I think that Mom didn't give this place enough credit, though. I mean, I've only been here a day, but still._

 _The house his huge. My room is bigger than Molly's apartment in New York. The family is…well. I'm not sure how much you know, but they put me with a really rich family that has it's own police force. Extra protection, I guess. Good thing Mom and Dad made us take all of those lessons, huh? Otherwise I'd look like a total fool in front of everyone. They have a son here Kyoya, who's about Mike's age, so we go to school together. He's NOTHING like Mike though. You would think of him as "cool" but I think of him as…analogical. Like, he sees everything and takes everything into consideration. He's quite, but it's like he's always thinking. I know I've only known him a day or so, but just from that little time I could tell. He looks at me and he's curious, he wants to know information about me. honestly? He kind of freaks me out._

 _The school makes the house look small. And, weirdly, it's all pink. You'll see when I send the pictures, but most of the buildings have a pink-sh hue to it. the grounds are beautiful, though. I'm not sure pictures are going to cut it._

 _And to address the more serious stuff…you know me too well._

 _I did have an attack. This boy whom I'd met earlier was acting charming and welcoming me to the school (he's the Chairman's son, so I guess it's appropriate). Now that sounds fine, right? well no. he took my hand, first of all, and then called me 'princess' like he did it a thousand times. I'm sorry, but you KNOW how I feel about that. he said, and I quote 'I see all girls as princesses because they are beautiful like one.' I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand the lies. So I ran out. and keep in mind that this is during lunch and I was already Topic of the Day because I was new and American (they haven't found out about the orphan thing yet) so of course everyone was watching us. Just all the eyes and his words and the new place and the preassure…I couldn't take it, Al. I ran. I ran right out of the building and into a garden. I didn't know where I was, I tripped and fell, compeletly running my dress as well as injuring myself. it happened out of nowhere. Plus this girl, Haurhi (we'd also met earlier. She's the nicest person so far. And a scholarshop studet so she's not, like, rich), had come after me and I was crying and you know how I get when other people see my cry._

 _And I hadn't slept. I don't know how you get over jet leg, Al. I'm exhausted. I feel like a vampire because I want to sleep in the day but I'm wide awake at night. I beg you to teach me your ways! But seriously, I was already tired and everything that happened today pushed me over the edge. That's all._

 _But one thing you will be interested in are these twins in my class. I still don't know their names, but they're strange. I sit next to one of them, and he seems nice enough. But, boys, you know? not too comfortable around them at the moment. The weird thing was, after my episode at lunch and after Haurhi and I had gotten back to class (she had an extra uniform for me) they acted as if they wanted to get to know me. of course I stayed silent. I didn't want anything to do with any of them at the time. But the werid thing is that the one sitting next to me, right in the middle of class, handing me a piece of paper with a little cofused looking face and a little thought bubble above it saying "I wonder what's on her mind?" it wasn't a bad picture either._

 _So at this point, I was trying to decide what to do about that. should I ignore him? or should I respond? I figured that I owed him at least a little response after humiliating myself at lunch (oh, they're also friends with Kyoya, Haurhi and the boy who sent me over the edge. I think his name was Tamaki). So I drew a little teddy bear, since at the time I was thinking about little Sophie and Carly. I gave it back to him and he returned it a few second later with a question mark above the bear. So I drew a second one. When I got it back, he'd turned them into panda bears._

 _I almost laughed at that. Ally, I almost LAUGHED. What the hell? I can't remember the last time someone has made me want to laugh, other than you and Adam of course. Especially a boy, though. But come on. panda bears? Really?_

 _Anyway it turned into me drawing an innocent animal and him turning it into something else. like, I drew a giraffe and he turned it into a demon. Boys will be boys, I guess._

 _That did make my day a little less horrible, though. I'd probably send you the paper if he hadn't kept it. I'll try to snag it for you, though._

 _I don't know why I let him do that. I don't know why I let myself even interact with him. I guess I was tried of ignoring him. and he's a little less obnoxious than his brother is (sound familiar?)._

Alex went on to tell Ally about the rest of her day, her run in with Honey and Mori, her conversation with Mr. Ootori. She wrote down everything she'd felt all day, and it was such a relief. Telling Ally and Adam everything was probably one of the best therapeutic things she ever did, and she was glad for it.

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I've finally gotten a new chapter written for you guys! As a bonus, it's extra long. sorry I was gone for so long, I had some family things going on.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

The next week went by slowly yet quickly at the same time.

Alex would only get a handful of hours of sleep at a time, and when she did sleep, it wasn't restful. Her dreams were filled with nightmares and uneasy thoughts. She'd wake up not knowing where she was and covered in sweat. She barely ate anything, and only when she was around other people. Every now and again she'd sneak out of her room in the middle of the night and grab a snack, hoping that no one would wake up to find her.

School was strange, to say the least. By her third day, her arrival had fallen out of the gossip agenda, so no one was staring at her like she'd grown a third arm or asking her a million questions a minute. After school, she'd wait for Kyoya to get done with his club, then she'd go 'home' and lock herself in her room for the rest of the night. If Mr. Ootori was there, she'd eat dinner with him and his sons, but since he mostly wasn't, she didn't have too much to worry about.

Sarrii bugged her, of course. The maid seemed to worry more about Alex's health than she did her own job. Alex had to explain again and again that she didn't need all that much food. As a matter of fact, eating too much made her sick. She'd gotten so used to rationing food over the years that she didn't need as much of it now. This just made Sarrii press even more.

The picture game she'd started with the red-headed boy—Karou, she'd learned his name was, but she could only tell it was him in class. When he was with his brother, she couldn't even begin to tell the two apart—continued. The day after she'd sent that letter to Ally (as well as a similar one to Adam) he'd come in with the same sheet of paper but with new animals drawn on it. A horse, a bird, a frog. In neat, cursive writing it said: _Your turn_. Alex took this to mean that it was her turn to transform normal-looking animals into morphed creatures. They spent the class time with that, and at the end of the day, Alex took the paper home and took a picture of it to send to her siblings. Then she drew even more animals and the game continued the next day.

She asked herself over and over why she was giving this red-headed boy the light of day, but there was something so…calming about their game. It didn't involve anything personal, and it was actually kind of fun to see what the other would create. They didn't have to talk or make eye contact. She even found herself smiling a little at his stupid drawings.

Of course, though, they didn't leave her alone completely. The twins always came up to her and tried to force a conversation out of her, but that just made her push them further and further away. Sometimes Haurhi stepped in to save her, and Alex was grateful for it. As far as she could tell, the other girl hadn't breathed a word about Alex's panic attack her first day. Alex didn't know how she was ever going to make that up to her, but she vowed to find out. So far, Haurhi had been the kindest person to her since she arrived at Ouran. She didn't push Alex to talk, and she didn't ask personal questions. Yet she was always there if Alex needed her.

She didn't see the twins and Haurhi's friends all that much, since they were in older than she was. Sometimes she'd pass Honey and Mori in the hallway, and Honey would always give her a bright smile and greet her with the enthusiasm of a little kid. It was him who suggested that she come to their club—the Host Club, as they were called—one day to visit. Alex had thought about it, but decided against it. If anything, she didn't want to intrude on Kyoya. She figured that if she were in his situation, then she wouldn't want to be bothered with the new girl who lived next door to her. As it was, he barely spoke to her at the house. Something told her that he wouldn't appreciate her presence at his club.

One day after school, while she was sitting in one of the any libraries, a teacher approached her table. She didn't notice until the woman cleared her throat and sat down.

Alex looked up from her book at the teacher. She smiled at Alex, who slowly closed her book and set it down.

"Hello Alexandria. I'm Ms. Hayashi, the teacher sponsor for the photography club."

Alex nodded, thinking this place has a photography club?

"I've noticed that you tend to sit here by yourself after school until mister Ootori is finished with his club. I was wondering if you would be interested in the photography club. I see you with your camera all the time, and I think it would be a good use of your time."

Alex stared at her, surprised. She hadn't thought anyone noticed her taking pictures. Ever since her last letter to Ally, she was taking more and more. The last thing she wanted was for Ally to keep begging for pictures. Her begging methods can get creative, even in letters.

Ms. Hayashi laughed at Alex's expression. "You're not as conspicuous as you think, you know. Now come on, let me see that camera."

Alex pulled out her small digital camera. It wasn't the best model, she doubts they make it anymore, but it does the job, and when Alex puts the pictures on her computer she can do what she can to make them look better. Hesitantly, she handed over the camera.

Ms. Hayashi took it gingerly and examined it closely. "I must admit, I thought it would be a better model," she muttered, as if to herself. She glanced at Alex. "May I?" she asked with her finger hovering over the power button.

Alex nodded and she turned the camera on. She looked through Alex's pictures, and her eyebrows raised and raised until Alex was afraid that they would disappear forever into her hair line.

"My, my, Alex. These are quite extraordinary for a camera like this. However did you get these shots?" she was looking at one of a group of students who were sitting by a fountain. They were all laughing and smiling, and if you hadn't been there to hear the joke, one would wonder what could make them all look so happy.

Alex blushed. "I, ah, like to take pictures of people when they're not looking or posing. It captures their true, self, in a way." at Ms. Hayashi's skeptical look, she hurried on. "But I never make anyone look bad! I always try to get the perfect moment, but never in a bad time."

The teacher nodded and handed the camera back over to Alex. "Well I can already tell that you are very talented. I hope you accept my offer." She dug into a bag beside her and brought out a small stack of papers. "Here's the application. We want Ouran's best photographers to join, and I think you just may qualify." She stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "And I do hope you have a slightly better camera," she said with a smile before walking off.

That night, Alex spent hours looking through the application. Most of it was basic information, phone number, name of guardian, address, things like that. Then it got into the questions. Why do you want to be a part of Ouran Academy's photography club? What is your photography experience? What's the best picture you've ever taken? How well do you work with others? Would you be willing to help with other club's photography needs?

They went on and on. At the end, it says to attach ten pictures that you've taken of places and people. Five of places, five of people.

Alex wished that she could talk to Ally and Adam about this, but she already knew what they would say. They would tell her to go for it, that the worst thing that would happen would be that she wouldn't be accepted. She could practically hear Ally shouting in her ear, telling her to go for it.

With a sigh, Alex sat down and started filling out the application.

* * *

"Kyoya, is it true that your family has taken in a foreign exchange student?" a girl asked that afternoon during business.

Kyoya sat back and smiled at the ladies. "Yes, my father graciously agreed to take her in. my family is delighted to teach her all about Japan."

"Wow, that's so nice. Were her parents family friends?" another girl asked.

Kyoya smiled and stood abruptly. "I'm sorry ladies, but you must excuse me. I have some business to take care of."

The ladies seemed a bit startled as he walked away, but there was no way he could answer their questions. He didn't even really know the answer to most of them.

The twins watched from afar.

"You know, I don't think Kyoya-senpai really knows all that much about Alex. As much as we do," Hikaru said.

Kaoru looked from the scene in the room to the window, where they could see Alex sitting by herself out by the fountain, writing away in her notebook.

Tamaki joined them and looked down at Alex. "How is it going?"

The twins look over at him. "She doesn't talk much," Hikaru says. "She shy's away from the personal questions."

Kaoru didn't say anything. He thought about the price of paper in his pocket, the one with all of the drawings on it. Through those, he'd probably gotten to know Alex better than his brother. He'd discovered that she had a strange sense of humor. Today she'd turn a Zebra into a zebra-fox mix, making it have short legs and a long fluffy tail. She'd drawn a cartoon face on it to show just how hard the zebra-fox would have at moving. He'd also discovered that she's fond of mythical creatures. A horse would turn in a Pegasus and a lion would turn into a sphinx.

He hadn't told the boss about the drawings, yet. For some reason, that felt like betrayal on his part. Like what he and Alex were doing was strictly between them. The only other person who knew was Hikaru, and that's only because he'd found it.

"She is a strange girl," Tamaki said, breaking Kaoru out of his thoughts.

"Well, she is American," the twins said at the same time.

"I don't think it has to do with the fact that she's American, though that is certainly part of it," Kyoya said from behind them.

The three of the boys turned to look at him, though he was writing in his black book like always.

After a moment of silence, Kyoya snapped the book shut. "Now, men, we have guest. I trust you won't forget that." And he walked off.

The other three boys looked at each other and shrugged. They returned to their guest.

* * *

For that first week after her talk with Ms. Hayashi, things weren't terrible. When she turned in her application (which took nearly two days to fill out) she was greeted with enthusiasm from Ms. Hayashi. Not even three days later, Alex got the note telling her that she made it into the club, and that the meetings would begin immediately after school.

Alex had to admit, it was fun. She actually got to be around people who knew about photography and who she could talk about it with. Of course she was mostly silent, but even listening to the conversations made her happy, more comfortable. Almost as if she were fitting in for once in her life. She was still too shy to show off her pictures to anyone other than Ms. Hayashi, but that was okay. Maybe with time, she'd be able to.

She started looking forward to the meetings. She'd catch herself humming as she walked down the hall with the twins and Haurhi, who all looked at her a little funny. Then she would blush and turn away, but she felt less and less embarrassed about it. Why couldn't she hum as she walked? It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong.

She found herself smiling a little more, too. It was all so alien to her, this almost happiness she's reached from this one club, but it was something that made her life in Japan almost enjoyable. She could take pictures without having to be too sneaky about it, and she had plenty by the end of the week to send to Adam and Ally and all of her friends back in New York. The thought of hearing from them made her heart leap a little.

It's so weird being happy.

Too bad it couldn't last.

* * *

One morning, during homeroom, a couple of boys came over to her desk. They leaned over her, blocking out the light and making Alex look up from her book.

"Hey there, American," one said.

Alex sighed and closed the book. The nickname hadn't gone away, though she wasn't sure why it mattered either way if she were American or not. She looked up at the boys, though, with her eyebrows raised.

"I was talking with my dad last night," the boy on the left said. This one had light brown hair and brown eyes. "He had just come home from a dinner with Ootori, you know, the family you're staying with."

Alex nodded. She remembered Mr. Ootori talking about having a dinner appointment with a client last night.

"And he told my father some very interesting things. Things about you."

Alex felt her heart skip a beat. Oh boy.

"Is it true that you're an orphan?" the boy's friend asked. "And that Ootori only took you out of self-pity?"

Alex gulped. By now, people were leaning in and listening. She pushed back the threatening attack, trying to get herself under control. "I am an orphan, yes," she said calmly to the two boys. "However I'm not sure about the second part. To be honest, I don't know why Mr. Ootori took me in." the lie rolled off of her tongue so easily, it kind of scared her.

The boys looked at each other then back at her. "So you really did come off of the streets? They sent you here because you're a delinquent and they needed a family to guard you?" the brown haired boy asked.

Alex was taken aback. Where had that come from?

"I lived in New York before I came here," she said, keeping her voice even, "in a foster home."

The boys laughed. "What's the difference?" the friend asked.

Around her, a few snickers started. Murmurs started up around her. "uneducated," "dirty," "slob," they all floated around her, words she'd heard non-stop for the past four years.

"Hey," a voice to her left said. "Why don't you just leave her alone? What has she done to you?" it was Haurhi, on her feet and angry.

The boys laughed again. "Sorry Fujioka, but what she did to us was lie. She's probably only here because Ootori paid for it. She's probably as dumb as a caveman." They walked to their seats, still laughing as others joined in.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but Alex refused to cry in front of these people.

"No wonder she ran off the first day. She'd not in her right mind."

"I feel so bad for Kyoya. Having to put up with her every day."

"I heard that he can't leave without her. Too bad. If I were him I'd just ditch her."

"Did you see that guard that's with her all the time? Probably to make sure she doesn't go crazy on all of us."

Alex let her hair fall back into its curtain, she ducked her head and stared down at her lap, trying to ignore the words that slammed against her ears.

* * *

"It's horrible, really," Kaoru said as he stood in the club room with the others.

"I know. She was just starting to get comfortable," Hikaru says.

Haurhi shook her head. "I just can't believe that those guys would announce something like that to the whole class. As if she doesn't have enough to deal with."

At that, every member turned to look at her. It took her a moment to realize what she had just said. "What do you mean, Haurhi?" Kyoya asked, a glint of interest in his eyes.

"Just…that…it can't be easy adjusting to a new country," Haurhi said, trying cover her slip up. It wasn't her place to tell them about Alex's panic attack.

Thankfully, no one seemed to question her cover.

"You're right," Tamaki said, being the only one to have much experience with that.

Honey looked at Kyoya. "Is it true, Kyo-chan? Is Arekku-chan really an orphan?"

"Yes," Kyoya said. "From what I understand, her parents died four years ago."

Honey looked down at his cake, which was going uneaten for once. "That's so sad," he said, sounding genuinely upset about it.

Haurhi leaned back in her chair. She had to agree with Honey senpai on this one. She'd lost her mom at a young age, but at least she still had her dad. She couldn't imagine losing them both.

Suddenly, Tamaki stood, a look of determination on his face. "This doesn't change anything. Haurhi, go find her and bring her to the club room. I'd like for all of us to speak with her so she knows that we're still on her side."

Haurhi, slightly surprised by Tamaki's determination, did as she was told. Honestly, she thought it was a good idea. Alex needed to know that people here still cared about her, no matter what. Even though she and the twins had only known her a short time, they had to admit that the American had grown on them, especially in the last few days. And typically Tamaki likes to think that the friends of other club members are his responsibility as well.

Of course, she had no idea what Kyoya senpai felt about all of this. He seemed to have known about Alex for a while now, but he didn't seem to treat her all that differently. Defiantly not like everyone had treated her today.

Haurhi found Alex hidden away in the corner of one of the libraries. It was deserted except for the girl, who was deeply immersed in her book. Or seemed to be, anyway. Haurhi didn't' miss how her eyes seemed to scan over the words more than once.

"Hey Alex," Haurhi said, making the girl jump. She looked up, her shoulder tense, but immediately relaxed when she saw that it was Haurhi.

"Oh, hey Haurhi," she said, her voice a bit scratchy, as if she'd been crying.

"I thought you had a meeting today?" Haurhi said.

Alex shook her head. "I didn't want to go."

Of course, Haurhi thought. Why would she want to after today?

"Well, why don't you come up to the Host Club for a while? We're technically closed today because we're planning the school's first Christmas dance, but your company would be welcomed."

Alex looked at her a moment, then sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

Haurhi shrugged. "Of course you do, but Tamaki senpai is persistent."

Shaking her head, Alex stood and gathered her things.

"My dear Alexandria!" Tamaki said with glee when the two girls walked in.

"Please don't call me that," Alex muttered, settling in a seat next to Haurhi.

"Alexandria?" Tamaki asked, confused.

"Dear," Alex corrected, her voice emotionless.

"Hey Arekku-chan, do you want some cake?" Honey senpai asked with a big bright smile that seemed fake to Alex. Then again, everything seemed fake to her today.

"Sure, Honey senpai," she said. She'd gotten into the habit of calling him that, though it didn't seem to make much of a difference to him.

He handed her a plate of chocolate cake that made Alex's mouth water and momentarily forget her troubles.

Honey giggled. "Do you like chocolate cake, Arekku-chan?"

Grudgingly, Alex picked up the fork. "Yea, well who doesn't like chocolate?" she didn't want to admit that chocolate cake was her favorite, though it was obvious to the others with the way that she seemed to savor each bite.

Once she'd finished her cake, Tamaki got to business.

"Alex, I would like to give my consolation about your…situation," he said.

Ah, Alex thought, so that's what this is about.

"Look, I'm not looking for anyone to pity me," she said a bit angrily.

"Pity? Of course not!" Tamaki said. "All I wanted to tell you is that the Host Club is here should you ever need us. This club room can be your safe haven."

Even though a part of Alex knew that Tamaki was just being nice, that he was trying to make up for her first day, that he was being himself, a bigger part of her was angry. Angry at him for pitting her, angry at herself for letting him put her in this situation, angry at every stupid drunk driver on the planet right now…

Alex looked at Kyoya, who was listening silently. "Is this true? Will this club room really be a 'safe haven'? Or is he just bluffing? Because ever since I've come here, you havne't once shown any kind of help." She looked at the rest of them. "None of you but Haurhi have." feeling the tears threatening to overtake her, she stood and hurried for the door.

"Alex, wait!" one of the twins called. He grabbed her wrist, making her immediately freeze. She turned and snatched her wrist out of his grip.

"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed, nothing but fear in her voice. She didn't realize her mistake until it was too alter, and by then she didn't care.

"Alex, it's okay. I know what it's like…" Tamaki started, but Alex had snapped.

"Do you?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Do you know what it's like to wake up in a crappy bed in a crappy house in a neighborhood where you have to carry a knife around for protection? Do you know what it's like to have nightmares of your parents walking away from you, even as you yell and scream and shout for them to come back? What about having to be responsible for a house full of little kids where there's not enough to eat and your foster parents don't care about you? Do you know what it's like to live on the streets because you just couldn't take it anymore? To have to dig through dumpsters for food and sleep in sewers because that's the safest place you could find?" she had her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if she were trying to keep herself put together.

The Host Club watched as she slowly fell apart in front of them, despite her best efforts.

"Can you imagine that, rich boy? Can you imagine having your life ripped out from under you in a second? Being taken away from everything you've ever known and not having any choice otherwise? Can you imagine never having a place to call home?" she gripped her hands into fists. "You have no idea the kind of hell I've been through, so don't even try. As a matter of fact, don't talk to me again. I don't want your charity."

And with that, she ran out of the room, however she didn't get very far before she collapsed.

 **I just wanted to be clear that everything poeople siad to Alex is just orphan-based stereotypes that I know, mixed in with some high school ones. Also, most of what Alex is thinking towards the Host Club is due to her past, not to the actual club. They're not doing anything wrong, in case any of you were confused on that.**

 **Please review so I know people are reading! I love to hear your feedback (and don't be afraid to be critical!)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Voices whispered in her ear, calling her all kinds of names. From really immature ones ("stupid face!") to really upsetting and personal ones. They swarmed around her, voices blending into each other so she couldn't pick out which one belonged to which person.

She felt hands grabbing her as she ran, desperate to get away from the voices. They pulled her back, trying to pin her down, keep her in place for more torture. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She tried desperately to get the attention of someone—anyone—who could save her, but she was completely and utterly alone with these voices and these hands, refusing to let her go, refusing to let her get away.

She saw her parents watching her a she struggled and she cried for them to help her, but they couldn't hear her. They would never be able to hear her again.

"They didn't love you," the voices hissed. "They killed themselves because of you. You were nothing but a burden to them. You're nothing but a burden to everyone you meet."

Alex cried and cried and tried desperately to scream, to do anything to get away from them, but it was no use.

Slowly, the voices consumed her.

* * *

When Alex was finally able to fight her way out of her dreams, she woke up feeling like she'd been run over by something large.

Her head hurt. Like…a lot. Her arm too. Moving it made her eyes tear up at the pain that shot through it.

Extremely confused as to how she'd gotten to her bed when she could have sworn she was at school not too long ago, she began to sit up—

Only to be consumed with overwhelming dizziness and nausea.

"Careful there," a voice said from her right. She looked over and saw, of all people, Akito sitting on the edge of her bed.

Alex lied back down, closing her eyes tightly to stop the room from spinning.

"That happens with concussions. You should really be more careful," Akito said.

 _Concussion? When did that—_

 _Oh, yea. The Host Club_.

Alex vaguely remembered screaming, and then running out like mad woman. Then she couldn't see anything—she'd blacked out or something—and then pain.

"Do you remember who you are?" Akito asked.

Startled, Alex could only nod.

"Good. A lot of times with a bump that big, there's a bit of memory loss."

Alex's good arm went up to her forehead, where there was a bandage bulging from her temple. She felt her heart stop for a moment. "What happened?" she asked, in English because she didn't have the mental capacity at the moment to focus on another language. Thankfully, though, Akito understood her.

"You somehow fell and hit your head. I don't know the details, Kyoya wouldn't say. Your arm too." Alex looked down and saw a massive bruise on her bicep that made her cringe. "No worries," Akito said. "It's not broken. Just…badly bruised. That should heal up in a few days. You're head however…well a little bit longer." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Here, take this. It'll help with the pain and help you get some more—hopefully restful—sleep." he handed her a bottle of pills and a cup of water. After making sure that Alex took as many as she needed, he stood to go.

"Oh, you should probably wake him up. He's been here all night." Akito motioned to the left side of Alex. There, sitting with his head propped up on his hand, was Kyoya, fast asleep. His glasses were slipping off of his nose in an almost hilarious way.

Alex turned to ask Akito just how long she'd been asleep, but he was already gone.

She looked back at Kyoya. He'd changed into a loose fitting yellow shirt and grey sweatpants. Alex couldn't fathom why he'd stayed there this entire time. Looking at her clock, it was close to two in the morning. What need did he have to stay there that long?

Sighing, Alex turned to look at the ceiling. No need to wake him now. Then she would just have to face the conversation of what had happened earlier…

 _Oh God._

The full force of what had happened hit her. She'd really said all of that stuff? In front of probably the only people in the entire school who thought she was an okay human being (which still baffles her)? She had probably insulted them all by saying that stuff, by complaining about her life. Oh no, had she cried in front of them too? She did. Of course she did. Now they all probably thought that she was weak and regret ever trying to help her. Ohgodohgodohgodohgod.

Alex sat up and pressed her back to the headboard behind her, welcoming the dizziness. Her hurt arm didn't even bother her. If anything it helped her to wake up a bit. She gripped a pillow to her chest, trying to find her breath, trying to find her center. She was breathing, but it felt like all of the oxygen was trying to get in at once, like it was fighting to get into her lungs. She couldn't control it, couldn't stop the air from forcing its way inside of her. Her vision started to go black and she strained to get her breathing under control.

Just as she was sure she was about to pass out for the second time that day, something was pressed to her mouth and the oxygen was cut off. She took a startled breathe and the started to breathe a little bit more naturally. She closed her eyes and focused on that. In, two three four, out two three four. When she was a bit saner, she realized just how much her head and arm ached.

"Lie down," Kyoya said, setting whatever it was that helped her breathe, back down. Alex did as she was told, wanting nothing else. She curled up on her good side, facing Kyoya, who sat back in his chair.

"Why did you stay here for so long?" she asked, again in English. She really couldn't be bothered at this point with Japanese.

But Kyoya didn't answer. He looked as if even he was wondering that.

"Okay, then another question. What happened? I mean after…." She let her voice trial off.

Kyoya studied her a moment. "You collapsed next to a table with a vase of flowers on it. The vase was pure gold, so it was rather heavy. It must have hit you on your head and arm."

How mortifying.

Alex sighed and covered her face with her blanket, trying to ignore the slight pain in her arm.

"Alex…" Kyoya started. Alex tensed, waiting for the questions, but inside she was thinking, _That's the first time he's called me 'Alex' instead of 'Alexandria.'_

But nothing came. Kyoya just stared at her, making her feel even more uncomfortable. Then, shaking his head, he stood, picked up the remote that sat on her bedside table and turned on the stereo that now resided the shelf above her bed. Mr. Ootori had given it to her, another bribe gift, she assumed, and had speakers installed to her room. Immediately, soft piano music drifted to her ears, helping her relax a bit.

Alex stared at him. She hadn't thought that it had been obvious that she used classical music to relax. Sure, she always had it on, but at a low enough volume that it didn't disturb anyone, and her door was always closed. She didn't know how Kyoya had picked up on that.

Maybe she underestimated this guy.

* * *

Kyoya watched Alex's muscles slowly relax as the song went on. Now, instead of looking tired and tense, she just looked tired. She seemed to sink even further into her bed.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He'd stayed with Alex until his brother got there, which hadn't been long after Sarrii, rushed and frantic, called him. That was when he'd changed, but Akito had called him back in for assistance. Kyoya had fallen asleep while his brother worked, surprisingly exhausted at the events of the day.

Then he'd woken up to Alex looking as if she had just run ten marathons. He doubted that she knew, but she'd been making gasping noises that had woken him up. It was almost as if she'd forgotten how to properly breathe.

"Kyoya," Alex said, breaking him out of his thoughts. He blinked and looked at over at her. "What happened after I passed out?"

It was an odd question, though a reasonable one.

"Mori senpai took you back to the club room where I bandaged your head. Then he carried you down to the car." Kyoya didn't want to tell her how Tamaki was freaking out the entire time, and that Honey was trying to help (miserably) by trying to wake her up with cake, so Mori had to take him out of the room. or that the twins spent the entire time contemplating how she could have severe brain damage from a solid gold vase and that Haruhi was probably the only one sane enough to help him.

Of course they all knew that Alex was okay. The wound was shallow. The worst thing would be a concussion, but Kyoya figured that it was a way for everyone to get out of their minds what Alex had said to them before she passed out.

He didn't tell Alex this, though. There really was no reason to.

Instead, Kyoya turned his attention to the photograph on the nightstand. "Is this your mother and father?" he asked.

Alex pretended that he didn't just change the subject. She looked over at the picture and smiled. It was small, sure, but it was real. Something in her eyes softened and Kyoya could somehow see the little girl in her, a girl who looked up to her parents in more ways than one.

"Yea," she says, her voice softer than usual, and filled with love. "That's one of the few things I've been able to keep from my old house. It's on their wedding day."

That seemed slightly strange to Kyoya, seeing as her mother was wearing a short white dress with knee high brown boots and her father was in jeans and a flannel shirt. He could see, though, that her mother held a bouquet of….where those lilies?

Beside him Alex chuckled a little. It was the first time he'd heard anything close to a laugh come out of her. "You saw the flowers? Yea, they are…were Mom's favorites." Speaking of her mother in the past tense seemed to take all of the good mood out of her. She slumped against the pillows and turned her face away from Kyoya.

Kyoya studied the picture more. Alex seemed to be a perfect mix of her parents. she had her mother's hair and heart shaped face while she had her father's nose and bright blue eyes. Somehow, though, she seemed to look more like her mother. They both had the bright look in their eyes, or dimmed look in Alex's case.

"You know Dad bought Mom a bouquet of lilies nearly every day since she agreed to be his girlfriend?" Alex said, so softly that Kyoya had to strain to hear. "Up until the accident. Even if we were tight on money, he would get them for her. Our house always smelled like them. I can't remember ever seeing a dead bunch. One day a new one would just appear out of nowhere." She rolled her head to look up at the ceiling. Kyoya didn't dare move, knowing that he would probably never see this side of Alex again. He was sure it was the pain medicine he knew Akito had made her take doing the talking. "That's true love. Granted it was the only example I ever had, but I think it was a good one." Kyoya could see that her eyes were drooping, closing slowly as the pain meds took effect.

Not being able to help it, Kyoya smirked. "Goodnight Arekusandoria," he said, standing and turning the light off. He headed back to his room, ready to get some sleep of his own.

As he was getting ready for bed, Kyoya began to wonder why he had been so worried when he'd seen Alex collapsed like that. It had looked worse than it was, blood everywhere, her dress soaked and sticking to her and Alex's ever-paling face. After close examination, however, he realized that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. Still, though, he'd been genuinely worried about the girl.

His father's words echoed in his head: Y _ou are in charge of her well-being while she is here._

He suppose that he was taking his job seriously. The last thing he needed was his father angry with him. It was a good thing that he was currently away for business, otherwise this ordeal would have been bigger than it was. Akito and him had already agreed not to tell their father anything.

Alex had no idea of the things Kyoya had done for her since she arrived. He was the one who had the speakers installed in her room while they were at school. He knew that she thought it was his father's doing, and he allowed her to think that. It would not benefit anyone for her to know that it was him.

 **I know it's a bit slow paced, but it's something that I felt needed to be included in the story. Still, I hoped you enjoyed!**

 **Please review so I know real people are reading. Seriously, they make my day every time I see one, even if it's just a short, one word review. It makes me excited to write even more!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow! What a week it's been!**

 **Hope you all had a great week! And if you didn't, well here's a chapter that hopefully will make you feel a bit better about it. if you did have a good week, then here's something to add to it!**

Sarrii insisted that Alex stay home the next day. She argued that Alex had been staying up late too many nights and not eaten too many times. She thought that all Alex needed was a restful day in bed.

Alex, on the other hand, thought that that was the last thing she needed. Lying in bed all day allowed her think and remember, which was always dangerous. She'd rather be at school and focus her attention on math problems and Japan History.

Besides, Alex knew what it would look like to her classmates if she skipped out the day after they all found out about her. She refused to hide from them. Now that she was actually well rested and she could think straight, she realized at least that. Hiding was something she was good at, something she was used to doing, but in this case it would not be the best idea.

The two had a heated argument about it. Alex insisted that she felt fine and that eve Akito said that it was okay for her to go to school, as long as she promised to go straight to the nurse if she started to feel dizzy or too exhausted. He even had non-drowsy pain medicine sent over, just in case the pain in her head got too strong.

Sarrii still wasn't convinced. She thought that Alex's passing out the day before was due to lack of sleep and food. She said that Alex probably still wasn't used to the new time zone and shouldn't exhaust herself.

Finally, Kyoya, of all people stepped in.

Alex remembered little of the previous night. She remembered that he had stayed with her until she'd woken up, even calmed her down from one of her episodes. She remembered talking to him about the photograph of her parents, but the details on that are hazy at best.

"Sarrii if Alex wishes to go to school, you should allow her. After all, she did promise to call should she feel even slightly over exhausted," Kyoya said, and Alex was struck again by how he called her by her—technical—nickname.

The maid sighed. "Alright," she looked at Alex, "but one sign that you're not feeling well, you come straight home."

Alex agreed and tiredly got ready for school.

* * *

"Thank you, by the way," Alex said when she and Kyoya were halfway to school. It was a beautiful autumn day, and she couldn't wait to get outside in the afternoon light to take pictures of the changing leaves.

Kyoya looked over at her from his black book. "About what, exactly?" he asks.

Alex shrugs, feeling embarrassed. "For…everything, I guess. Taking care of my wound yesterday afternoon and staying with me last night. And for helping me this morning. Just…" she shrugged again, looking at her hands clasped in her lap. "Thank you."

Kyoya didn't say anything until they got to school, and neither did Alex. She just took pictures of whatever was outside whenever they stopped in traffic, glad for the tinted windows.

When they stopped at the school, Kyoya turned to look at her, making her look up in surprise. "I did what I did because my father is holding me responsible for you while you are here," he tells her, his voice giving away no emotion. "I thought it would do me no good to defy him. And because he will never know of what happened yesterday, there is no need to bring it up." and with that, he got out of the car.

Alex sat there for a moment, staring at where he had just sat. Slowly, a small smile spread on her lips.

Yeah, she'd defiantly underestimated him.

* * *

The entire day, Alex felt the gaze of everyone she passed. She could hear the whispers around her. News had spread pretty quickly, so everyone in the school knew by lunch time. She couldn't take the stares or the pitying looks from those who didn't share the views of their peers.

That included Haurhi and the twins. Throughout class, she saw Kaoru glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, not asking his questions very loudly. He felt distant, somehow. Like he didn't know what to think of her after her episode yesterday. He didn't know how to act around her. He didn't continue their game. He'd had the paper last, so it was up to him, and he didn't bring it out at all. Alex tried to push down the ever-growing sense of disappointment.

His brother and Haruhi acted similarly. Neither one of them could look her in the eye, they didn't try to speak to her, and she felt as if she'd lost the only people she could even begin to consider friends.

 _It's for the best_ , she told herself. _it's better if you don't get attached to anyone here. Who knows how long you'll be here? You could be gone tomorrow. It's best if you just keep to yourself._

But no matter how many times Alex repeated this to herself, she couldn't shake her growing self-hatred for blowing it with the trio.

However this distance extended to the other members of the club as well. When she passed Honey and Mori in the hall, Honey greeted her with his usual smile, but there was something in it that made her gut twist. It was hesitation, as if he weren't sure that his smile would send her into another episode. Even Tamaki was distant and careful round her.

Kyoya, of course, paid little attention to her, but he was the only person whom she felt didn't treat her with any remorse or distaste. Unlike his club members, he wasn't hesitant or careful, which she found herself grateful for. She was starting to realize that if there was one thing you could rely Kyoya on was his brutal honesty.

By the end of the day, though, she was over it. The distance between her and the trio felt like the distance between her and her siblings—an entire world away. When class was dismissed for the day, Alex stepped in front of the trio before they had the chance to escape.

"I want to make something clear," she said as the room emptied out. She waited for the last of the students to file out before she went on. "I'm not a ticking bomb. I'm not going to explode randomly into fits of hysteria. So please, stop treating me like it."

The three stood there for a second, stunned. It was the most she's said to them. When she was sane, anyway.

Haurhi cleared her throat. "We weren't thinking that, Alex," she said. "We just didn't know if you needed space or not."

Alex's chest tightened. Space. She had more of that than she needed. "Well, I don't," she said, and even she could hear the irritation in her tone. She felt even guiltier at the look of astonishment on the twin's faces and the hurt on Haurhi's. Before she could embarrass herself any further, she turned and walked out of the room with her head down.

* * *

The looks on their faces haunted Alex all night. Why did she say that stuff? Why did she have to make everything worse?

She didn't sleep again that night, and found that things were worse the next day. If anything, the trio was _more_ reserved than the day before. And from the way that the other members were acting, they'd recounted the story.

Alright, Alex thought, what am I going to do about this?

She felt guilty as hell. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she shouldn't be. It's not her fault that little things get to her. And it certainly wasn't _their_ fault. But still, she felt responsible for what she said, because a part of her had meant every single word of it. And she felt even worse for what she'd said to the trio.

So with this in mind, she approached Mr. Ootori that weekend. He'd returned from his trip the day before, and, thankfully, has not heard word about the incident.

She knocked hesitantly on his office door.

"Come in," his deep voice boomed.

Shaking slightly, Alex opened the door and stepped into his office.

It was probably one of the most uninviting rooms she'd ever been in, and that was saying something. The walls were pale white with bad, bland paintings on them. There was a bookshelf or two with heavy volumes on them and Mr. Ootori's single wooden desk in the middle of the room, currently scattered with papers.

"Alexandria," his tone held a bit of surprise. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing, sir," Alex responded, clenching her hands behind her back to hide how badly they were shaking.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

Alex took a few more steps into the room, reminding herself what Mrs. G had told her about getting into character.

 _You are a business woman discussing a deal with a business man,_ she told herself. _You have to act confident to show that you mean what you say and you have to make your points clear._

This was the only was Alex could stay sane and ask for her favor. She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. "I'd like to make a phone call home."

Mr. Ootori stared at her a moment. Alex kept his gaze, as much as she wanted to drop it. After what felt like years he said, "New York?"

Alex shook her head. "No. My home town where I grew up."

He folded his hands atop of his desk, leaning forward. "I don't think that is a good idea."

"It shouldn't take long," Alex said.

After another long moment, he motioned for Alex to sit in one of the chair across from his desk. And she did, hoping that he didn't see how her knees shook ever so slightly.

"This isn't about your brother and sister," he asked, though it didn't sound like a question.

"No, sir," Alex responded, even though the thought of speaking with her brother and sister made her heart ache. "Though it is about something personal."

He leaned back. "And I don't suppose that you would be willing to share this with me?"

 _He thinks I'm lying_ , Alex realizes. And suddenly, she's angry. Alex does not lie. Not when it matters. She sat up straighter, not even bothering to act now. "Like I said, it's personal. Let's just say that I have something that I need to take care of, and I need some help from an old family friend to do that."

He still didn't see satisfied.

Pursing her lips, Alex drew her last card. "Mr. Ootori, sir, I have not made one complaint since I arrived in Japan. I have gone to the school that you insisted that I go to, and I have put up with a great deal since then. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear this, but rich kids don't take kindly to orphans who intrude on their school. Lucky for you, I'm used to it. But what would Natalie say if she knew how I was being treated at school?" she saw his face pale a bit. Bingo. "It's one phone call. Two if you count asking Nat, but she loves me so I doubt that will be a problem."

Mr. Ootori glared at her, and she glared back. Normally, she doesn't act this way towards adults. She was raised to respect her elders, and she took that to heart. But she needed this, and if this was the only way that she could get what she needed, then so be it.

Finally, Mr. Ootori stood. "Very well. You make your call." He turned to leave, knowing that it would be best for him to leave her to do this herself.

"And Alexandria" he said as Alex reached for the phone on his desk. She turned when he said her name. "You would make a very good negotiator."

Alex turned back around, all of her confidence gone. "Well," she said, swallowing the lump I her throat "It's amazing what six months of acting school can do."

For a moment, there's nothing but silence. Then the door clicks close behind him.

As Alex suspected, it didn't take much to convince Natalie, the agent I charge of Alex and her siblings (but mostly Alex) to let her make the call. She had to go through the agent's system, which connected her to the shop.

A woman's voice picked up on the fourth ring, sounding energetic. "Ant Nancy's Southern Pastries, how may I help you?"

Alex almost broke down in tears when she heard the old woman's voice. "Hi Ant Nancy."

There was a silence, and then, "Alex? Oh, little Alex!" she exclaimed. Alex let out a breath of relief. "Why, I haven't heard from you in over a year! Not since you went to New York with little Addy. Are you still there? How's that brother of yours?"

Alex's throat closed up. She was so close to crying. "I'm not in New York anymore, Ant Nancy. I'm in Japan."

"Gracious!" Nancy replied. Alex loved Ant Nancy's accent more than most southerners. It was the most stereotypical grandma voice you could think of. "Why on Earth would they send you there?"

"Well, there's this family here who has really good security, so…" she let the sentence trail off. Nancy was one of the few people who knew of Alex's and her sibling's situation.

"I see," her voice grew serious. "How is it? They treating you right?"

Alex felt herself smile a real smile. "It's a different life style, I'll tell you that Ant Nancy. I don't think these people know the true hardships of life."

Ant Nancy made a _tut tut_ sound. "Well don't let them get to you sweetie. If anyone can get through this, I know it's you." Alex felt her heart contract. If it weren't for Nancy and her never-ending faith in Alex, she wasn't' sure where she'd be right now.

"Now," Nancy said, in her getting-down-to-business voice. "What is it you called about? I know you wouldn't just call all the way from Japan for a chat."

If she could she would.

Alex sighed. "I need some recipes."

"Oh boy," Nancy said. "What is it have you done this time?"

Alex explained everything. She never hid anything from Nancy. If anything she was the only adult Alex could really talk to. Plus, she was a great listener. She never interrupted and she always thought out her answers before giving them.

When Alex finished her tale, Nancy was silent for a long time. "Now missy, you know what I say…"

"That I don't need to impress people, I know," Alex said. "But…I really feel bad about this, Ant Nancy. They were just trying to be nice, unlike everyone else, and I said such horrible things to them. Then I go and collapse like that…"

Nancy sighed. "I know sweetie. I'm sorry this is so hard on you."

Alex felt on the verge of tears again. "Why do I have to be so broken?"

"Alexandria Nicole Wright!" Nancy exclaimed. "Don't you ever say that again? You ain't broken, you're fractured. And even if you was broken, it'd be an easy repair." Alex was crying now. Nancy was one of the few people she could express her true fears to. "Now honey dry up them tears. You've got some pastries to make."

* * *

Kyoya was walking past his father's office, only to see his father standing outside, leaning a little towards the door.

"Father?" Kyoya asked. It was a strange sight to see, his father seeming to be listening to something in his own office. Mr. Ootori put a finger to his lips and motioned his youngest son over. From inside, he could hear Alex talking a mile a minute in English, her voice having taken of a strange accent that made it hard to understand what she was saying.

"Oh, ant Nancy don't say that! Everyone knows you're the best in town!" Alex exclaimed. She sounded almost happy.

His father motioned him away from the door, out of ear shot if Alex was even listening.

"Kyoya, how has Alexandria been doing at school?" he asked.

Kyoya frowned. "Fine as far as I can tell. Her teachers have nothing but praise for her work."

Mr. Ootori nodded. "Very well. However, remember to keep an eye on her." With that he walked away, his hands behind his back, his back straight.

Kyoya watch him, wondering what Alex had said in order to gain access to his father's office phone.

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **As always, leave a review with your thoughts. It would be appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I really appreciate it.**

Alex had to wait an entire week before she could put her plan into action.

First, she had to make sure Kyoya was out of the house. It wouldn't work if he saw what she was doing, and she couldn't bake in her room (sadly). It worked, out, though, because the Host Club planned to take a weekend trip to Karuizawa. Alex overheard Kyoya telling Sarrii that they were going to visit friends there.

Second, she had to convince the staff to let her use the kitchen. She didn't expect it to be all that hard, she'd just ask if she could use it for the day. And since she'd mostly likely be the only person in the house they would even have to worry about (Mr. Ootori was taking his two oldest sons on a business trip with him), she doesn't expect much of a fight.

And finally she had to wait out the week.

It was worse every day, somehow. There wasn't a day that went by when someone didn't call her a name or sneered at her. She let it happen, though, biting her cheek to keep herself in check. She reminded herself over and over again that they didn't matter. She knew who she was, and that's all that mattered. These rich people didn't know what they were talking about. They don't know what she's been through.

But the looks from the Host Club were the worst. They just…ignored her. All except Kyoya. Well, and Honey but only because it seemed like it just wasn't in his nature to ignore people. And Kyoya _had_ to interact with her at some points, considering the fact that they live together.

She wasn't sure that her plan was going to work. All she was doing was making them all small gifts. Edible ones, at that. But her conscious wouldn't leave her alone until she did something. And if they still treated her the way that they did afterwards…well she wouldn't be surprised. She wasn't doing this to make them talk to her again. She was doing this to clear her own head.

She still attended her photography club. She couldn't give that up, and because she had to stay after school every day anyway, she didn't see much point in quitting, even though the other members gave her dirty looks every time she walked into the room, though. She spent most of her time taking pictures by herself out in the gardens, showing them to Ms. Hayashi afterwards. The teacher was ecstatic at her work, but Alex asked her to keep her praise silent in front of the others. The last thing she needed was more teasing about being a teacher's pet. Or worse, other people looking at her work and making her feel even worse about it.

She always met Kyoya right outside the club room when he finished. As always, the other members averted their eyes from her, but most of the time she didn't even look up at them either. She was too busy looking through the pictures on her camera, deleting the ones she didn't like and trying to decide which shots looked better, then deleting those that didn't make the cut. Sometimes she'd catch Kyoya trying to look over her shoulder at the camera, which she would immediately put away. He'd frown but wouldn't comment on it.

It wasn't until a day or two later when she found out why he seemed so invested in her camera.

* * *

She was walking past Kyoya's room one night, on her way to the kitchen, when she saw that his door was standing open, light shining through the doorway.

It was only odd because it was the middle of the night and Kyoya never seemed to be up this late. She cautiously peeked inside, out of mere curiosity.

His room was just as plain as hers, like he didn't seem to want people to know he had a taste (if he did at all). There were shelves, of course, and the same kind of dresser that resided in her room. As a matter of fact, the layout of his room was similar to her own.

Inside, he was sitting on the couch, facing away from the door, with his lap top on the coffee table. He seemed to be immersed in whatever he was doing, because he didn't notice when Alex crept forward, straining to see what was on the computer.

Her mother always said that out of all of her siblings, Alex was going to be the one who died because she was too curious. She simply could not help herself when it came to certain things, and Kyoya was at the top of her list. The guy acted so calm and cool, but no one has their life that much together, especially at seventeen. She wanted to know what made him tick.

She crept as close as she dared and peered over his shoulder.

Her own face smiled back at her. He was looking at a picture of her from when she was eleven or twelve (pre accident) holding up a trophy in front of a beautiful white and grey stallion. It took her a moment to realize that it was from an old newspaper article from her hometown. She'd won a horse race that year, and was on her way to the National competition. Kyoya scrolled through the article, reading faster than she could.

Feeling a lump in her throat, Alex retreated as silently as she could.

* * *

What the hell?

What was Kyoya doing looking her up like that? He wasn't going to find much, thanks to the American government, but that's not what she was worried about. Why couldn't he just ask her things like a normal human being?

 _Because whenever people start to ask personal questions you freak out, that's why._

Oh yeah.

Still, it was odd. And she doubted that he would be interested in a couple of competitions she'd won. She didn't even actually go to nationals. It wasn't long after that that the accident happened…

* * *

The entire Host Club showed up to pick up Kyoya Friday night.

They'd all gone home to get their things, and were going to be gone the entire weekend.

Alex hid in her room, though Kyoya couldn't really blame her. Not with the way the other members had been treating her. Not that he could exactly blame them either.

Music came from the girl's room, though. It was an American band, one that Kyoya wasn't familiar with. There was a lot of drums involved. Or at least, that was all he could hear through the walls.

"Does she always listen to that stuff?" the twins asked when the club showed up in his room.

"It's different every day," Kyoya answered in an uninterested tone. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Are we going?"

As the group was leaving his room, Sarrii bustled past them. "Oh, are you leaving already?" she asked.

"Yes. And please make sure that Alex is taken sure of," Kyoya said, keeping his uninterested tone.

Sarrii's eyebrows furrowed; she glanced at the closed door. "I thought she would be going with you," she said.

"Didn't you ask her Kyoya?" Tamaki asked.

He shook his head. "It wasn't my place to ask, as I was not the one planning the trip," he glanced at his friend, who looked away guiltily. It was so unlike Tamaki to not think about someone before himself. Kyoya made a mantle note to ask him about it once they got to Karuizawa.

Sarrii, still frowning, moved towards the door as if she didn't believe them. She knocked once, but it was clear that Alex wasn't going to be able to hear a single knock, so she let herself in.

Kyoya and the others looked into the room. Alex was on the couch, lying upside down with her head hanging over the edge of the couch. She was mimicking playing the drums, somehow able to bob her head to the music in her position. She was even tapping her foot mid-air as if pressing the peddle on the drum. Her eyes were closed as she bobbed her head, her hair flailing around in its ponytail.

Sarrii seemed to choke back a laugh as she went over and gently prodded Alex's leg.

The girl jumped, nearly falling off the couch. She opened her eyes, and her eyes immediately landed on the Kyoya and his friends, as they were in direct eye line of the couch. Immediately, she swung her legs off the back of the couch to turn herself upright and stood in one swift movement. Her face was red, though if it was because of the blood rush or from embarrassment at being caught, they couldn't tell.

Biting her lip, Alex bent and scoped up the little remote to her stereo and turned the music down to background level.

"Interesting thing to do in your spare time," Kyoya observed.

Alex's face reddened even more. She shifted from foot to foot, looking at anything but them.

"Miss, I thought you would be going with Master Kyoya and his friends," Sarrii said, still looking as if she were trying not to laugh.

Alex shook her head, giving the maid a confused look.

"Well, Alex, we'd be glad to take you with us. I know its last minute, but we don't mind," Tamaki said kindly, stepping a little into the room.

Alex looked down at herself. She'd changed into a pair of blue and green plaid patterned pajama pants, a grey t-shirt and grey slippers. Obviously not dressed for travel.

She cleared her throat self-consciously. "That's a really nice offer Tamaki, but I've really got some work to do for Ms. Hayashi," she motioned to the coffee table, which was scattered with papers and her laptop, open and showing something none of them could see.

"And that's why you were…" Hiakru said, motioning to the couch. He seemed to have forgotten his silent treatment towards her.

Alex's face flushed all over again. "Multi-tasking. A couple of friends of mine write music," she motioned to the stereo that was mounted over the TV, "and they ask me to give feedback on it. Music in turn helps me concentrate. What you saw," she cleared her throat again, "was me taking a break from the concentrating part." she looked as if she didn't know why she was explaining herself, as her face continued to grow red as she spoke.

"What do you know about music?" Kaoru asked.

At that, Alex looked up at them, a kind of challenge in her eyes. "Why, more than you would know. I mean, if you even bothered to care." she pressed her lips together as soon as the words were out of her mouth, immediate regret in her eyes. The twins looked away, scowling.

Feeling the tension start to rise, Kyoya turned to his friends. "Alright, we've got a long drive ahead of us, let's go," he said, ushering everyone out of the room and closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Ugh," Alex said, collapsing back onto the couch and burring her head in her hands.

"My, my," Sarrii said. "What was that about?"

Alex sighed and shook her head. "Long story."

Sarrii nodded and sat down next to Alex. "Miss, I didn't know you were going to be staying. I don't think Mr. Ootori knew either, as he gave most of the staff the weekend off, including the cook and most of the other maids and butlers." She said this as if it were bad news, but it rang of opportunity to Alex.

She sat up and looked over at the maid. "And you?" she asked

Sarri smiled and shook her head. "I am allowed to go home early, but it seems wrong to leave you in this big empty house all by yourself…"

"Stay? Please?" Alex asked, a true hint of pleading in her tone. Normally she wouldn't sound so weak, but the thought of having to stay here by herself at night was truly terrifying.

The maid's eyes softened. "Of course."

Alex felt her shoulders relax, then looked down at the papers on the table. "But…there's something I need your help with."

Sarrii raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And what is that?"

Alex explained everything she felt comfortable with telling her. She didn't' want Sarrii going to Mr. Ootori about this. "So I've decided to make them all something. I've got these recipes," she picked up a few sheets of paper from the table, "that came from this little bakery from my hometown. They're all great, and the owner is an old friend of my family's. It's kind of like an apology basket."

Sarrii nodded. "So let me get this straight. You said some things to Master Kyoya and his friends and now you want to make up for it?"

Alex nodded. "Pretty much."

Sarrii was silent for a minute. Then she took the papers from Alex's hands. "Then we'd better get started, shouldn't we?"

* * *

It was probably one of the best weekends Alex ever had in Japan.

The whole time, there were only a few workers around, maids to tidy up the place and a few guards who stayed around no matter if the family was there or not. The chef was gone the whole time, so Alex had full access to the kitchen. She made a list for Sarrii of everything that she needed (or at least whatever equaled those things in Japan). Alex fell into a comfortable zone in the kitchen. She felt right at home there, even if the equipment was a little advanced than what she was used to.

Her and Sarrii and even some of the other maids baked most of Saturday. Because of their help, Alex could go back and forth between baking and designing each person's box. Also, thanks to Sarrii and the other maids, she was able to figure out what each Host member preferred the most. Honey, obviously, enjoys cakes and sweets the most, but Kyoya, Haurhi and Mori prefer more healthy things like fruit. However the twins and Tamaki like a mix of the two.

They let everything cool overnight while Alex finished up the boxes and containers. She didn't know much about the Host Club, but she knew enough just from watching them of what they liked. On Kaoru's, she put some of her favorite animals that they created together on it, just as a joke, and them put some cool designs on Hikaru's that she felt he would like. She left Haurhi's rather plain design wise—it was just a white box with one of her favorite quotes on it that she thought Haurhi would like.

They were all personalized, and it took Alex most of the night to get them all done. Sarrii—who was sleeping on Alex's couch so she wasn't alone—had fallen asleep hours ago. Alex had been working upstairs so as not to disturb her. When she was finally done, she sat back with a sigh. She was exhausted after baking all day and working on these things, so she set them all carefully on the ground against the wall and slept peacefully for the first time since she arrived to her new home.

The next morning they finished off everything. Alex wanted to get everything done before they got home, so she got up at the break of dawn to start. All morning they work, pausing briefly to actually eat breakfast and lunch. Finally, by midafternoon, she was finished. She'd baked everything and set everything up in their individual boxes.

The butler that had been helping was more than happy to deliver them himself.

"Anything for you ma'am," he said with a bow, making Alex feel ever so slightly uncomfortable. She smiled and thanked him, though, as he left with six of the boxes in hand.

Alex picked up the seventh and checked the time. According to Sarrii, they were due back any minuet. Alex didn't want to time it badly, because she didn't want the fruit to go bad.

She walked to Kyoya's room and set the box and the container with the fruit down on his coffee table, right in the center. She didn't know if he'd see it at first, but Kyoya did strike her as someone who notices when things are a bit different.

As she was leaving, she noticed something on his desk. His laptop.

Alex frowned. It didn't seem like him to leave his laptop here when he was one a trip. Holiday or not, a laptop is something that she would assume Kyoya would keep with him at all times.

She bit her lip, thinking about what she saw the other night. Of course, she shouldn't look. It was wrong and a complete invasion of his privacy. Even if he wasn't respecting hers, she should be the better person. She shouldn't stoop to his level or give in to temptation…

But that was something she was always horrible at. Curiosity got the best of her, and she sat down at his deck, opening his computer.

Of course, there was a password on it. Alex, being the tech savvy that she is, cracked into it pretty easily. It wasn't too hard to find a person's password. She'd done it enough times to know.

She went to his search history and found it littered with things about her. Mostly her name, but also her parent's names, her grandparents' names, her hometown. He was really trying to find out everything he could about her wasn't he?

Alex shuddered a little. The thought of someone trying to dig so much of her past up creped her out a bit. She really couldn't blame him, but it was hard not to be annoyed. There was something called communication. Was she so unapproachable that he couldn't' even come up to her and ask about her hometown? It wasn't exactly a sore subject. She had nothing to hide when it came to it.

But looking deeper into his search history, she found that he did this with pretty much everyone he deemed important enough. There seemed to be an exceptionally large amount on Haurhi for a while. _Hm. Wonder what that was about._

Shaking her head, she shut down the laptop. Now that she'd actually looked through it, she felt a bit bad, but not enough to feel sorry about doing it. Biting her lip, she looked around ad saw a small ad of paper on Kyoya's desk. Before she could change her mind about this idea, she picked up a pen and wrote a small note, leaving it by Kyoya's box as she walked out the door.

* * *

"Miss?" Sarrii asked, poking her head in the door. Alex was sitting at her desk on her laptop, back to working on her pictures for Ms. Hayashi (she'd only been lying a small bit when she told Tamaki she had work to do for the teacher).

Alex turned in her chair and saw that Sarrii held two medium sized boxes with two envelopes on top of it. "There's some mail for you," she said.

Alex felt her heart leap. "Just set it on the table. Thanks Sarrii," she said as the maid did as told.

Sarrii gave her a smile. "Oh, and Master Kyoya has just returned," she added, throwing a wink in Alex's direction.

Alex smiled ever so slightly. "Good timing too. I'm not sure how much longer those fruits could be out."

 **Another chapter for another week! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **As always please leave a review with your thoughts.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys!**

 **Didn't think you'd be seeing this so soon did ya? I got into a real writing mood today, so I sat down and wrote this! A little thing extra to get you through the week to come.**

When Kyoya returned home, he found Sarrii in the middle of dusting. She looked over at him and smiled. "Welcome home Master Kyoya," she said as she hurried over to help him with his bags. "How was Karuizawa?"

"Fine," Kyoya answered in a bored tone. He handed the maid a cloth bag. "Have these washed, please."

Sarrii took it. "Of course sir."

It took a moment before the smell hit him. It was sweet and inviting, and it was one he recognized. "Sarrii, who's been baking?"

The maid froze, as she'd turned to walk away. She turned back to him with a wide smile. "Why, Miss Alex of course! And she's very good at it too." she grinned. "There are some extra cookies in the kitchen if you wanted to try one." With that she walked out, leaving Kyoya with the smell of fresh baked cookies.

As he walked down the hallway to his room, he heard the familiar sounds of piano music coming from Alex's room. He smirked and shook his head as he turned into his own room, only to stop when he saw the box on the coffee table. It was a deep navy blue, like the sky at twilight. On top of the lid was a simple yin-yang sign painted on in gold. Beside it was a cup containing what looked like fruit. In front of that was a folded piece of paper with an even smaller piece of paper on top of it.

He first opened the box. There were multiple assortments of sweets, including some chocolate covered strawberries, which happened to be Kyoya's favorite.

He sat down on the couch, his eyebrows furrowing. He looked towards the small paper where—in neat, girlish handwriting—the words _If you want to get to know me, all you have to do is ask_ were written.

* * *

 _Dear_ {Enter Host Club member's name here}

 _I made these treats for you as a kind of apology for what happened last week. Most of what I said…well there is a bit of a truth behind it, but not totally. I never have a filter when I get like that. Half the time I don't even know what I'm saying._

 _That doesn't excuse what I did say._

 _One thing you should understand, though, is that I'm not a string hanging by a thread. I'm not going to breakdown at the smallest comment or look. If I did then I probably would have died a long time ago. That day was…not a very good day. I was homesick, exhausted and emotional. Trust me, I get the orphan crap wherever I go. I've learned how to get over it over the years. Sometimes it's just comes at the wrong time._

 _Despite what I said, I honestly appreciate what you all tried to do for me that day. I'm just not used to people like you, people who actually care. I guess I've got a lot to learn when it comes to other people. I've been pretty isolated since my parents died._

 _I hope you enjoy the sweets and fruits._

 _Alex_

Each Host member got a variety of the same letter. Some, like Tamaki's, went more in depth with more apologies. They all received the same sweets and fruits, in their different boxes.

Kyoya leaned back against the couch as he read the letter. He thought about the conversation he'd had with Tamaki over the weekend, and wondering just how much Alex knew.

* * *

Tamaki and Kyoya sat in two armchairs in Kyoya's room at his cottage. The rest of the Host Club members were settling in at the pension, but Kyoya had asked for him and Tamaki to have a privet word over here.

When he'd explained why, Tamaki grew serious. He leaned back in his chair ad stared at the empty fireplace. "She's a strange girl," he said absentmindedly.

"That's never mattered in the past," Kyoya pointed out.

Tamaki shook his head. "It seemed that all she wanted was to be left alone. She made that clear that afternoon."

Kyoya studied his friend. "And you were afraid of causing another one of her fits." He said it not like a question, but Tamaki answered anyway.

"Well yeah," he said with a shrug. "I felt bad enough about that one, I didn't want her to get hurt again. So I thought it best that we don't bother her." He sighed and propped his head on his hand. "I'm starting to think that it was the wrong choice though, after seeing her actions towards Kaoru."

Kyoya nodded. "She did seem a bit bitter."

"Why are Americans so hard to read?" Tamaki said absentmindedly.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I don't think being American has anything to do with it."

* * *

Ringing disrupted Kyoya's thoughts. He blinked and looked over at his cell phone, which he'd set on the coffee table next to the box. He recognized the ringtone immediately.

So he had gotten one too.

* * *

Alex was severely disappointed when she walked in to homeroom the next day to nothing new. The twins avoided her gaze as usual, and Haurhi remained with her nose in her studying. She tried to keep her demeanor, though, and sat in her seat next to Kaoru.

"Hey, that's new," Kaoru said after a few minutes. It took her several moments before she realized that he was talking to her. Slowly, she lifted her hand to show the sparkling blue zircon gem. The thin band was sliver and it wrapped perfectly around her finger. The gem itself, though was very small, almost the size of a bead. It was a small and slightly dull piece of jewelry, which is why it was perfect for her.

Kaoru leaned over to get a closer look at it. Alex felt her heart speed up a bit, then told herself that she was being ridiculous. She was just glad that he was talking to her. That's all.

"What gem is that?" he asked.

"Zircon," Alex answered, cursing her soft voice for the first time in her life.

Kaoru nodded. "December," he said, surprising her a bit. She wouldn't have guessed that he knew birthstones. "Is that when your birthday is?"

Slowly, Alex nodded.

"Hm," he said, just as the teacher walked in and called class to order.

* * *

That afternoon, Alex was helping Ms. Hayashi after club hours. She knew that Kyoya would still be busy, so she decided to stay busy herself. The teacher first had her sort all of the photos into different categories, then she started her on hanging up the pictures around the circumference of the room.

"It's a good way to show them off!" she explained to Alex when she handed the girl a stack. So Alex spent forty-five minutes hanging up the pictures.

She was about half-way done when she heard the door to the classroom open.

"Excuse us, Ms. Hayashi?" Alex froze at the voices. It was the twins.

Ms. Hayashi put down her papers and looked over at them. "Ah, the Hitachiin brothers. What can I do for you?"

Alex turned, pins in her mouth to look at the twins. They were smiling dashingly at the teacher, which Alex was pretty sure was against some kind of rule. "We need Alex here for a little while," the twin on the left said. They looked up at her, still perched on her step stool.

"Of course, of course," Hayashi said. "I'll finish that up, Alex. Have a good evening," she said, walking over to Alex and taking the pins and pictures from her.

Alex climbed down the step stool and got her things, giving the twins a confused look. They just smiled at her, waved to Ms. Hayashi and led her out of the room.

When they got to Music Room 3, she saw that the rest of the club was gathered around a table, three chairs left unoccupied.

Honey jumped on her immediately, his usual wide grin on his face. "Arekku-chan! You're gifts were amazing. They tasted so good!" he exclaimed.

Alex felt herself relax slightly, as she always did around Honey. "Thank you Honey senpai," she said.

Tamaki then appeared at her side. "Alexandria," he said charmingly. "We're so glad that you could make it. Please, have a seat. We have much to talk about."

Slowly, Alex did as she was told, wondering where on earth this was going.

"We'd like to thank you very much for your grifts," Tamaki went on.

"Yeah, they were great," the twins said, then their heads tilted in unison. "But how did you know what our favorite sweets are?"

Alex shrugged. "Maids know everything," she said.

"Indeed," Kyoya said in his same bored tone.

"Well whatever the reason, they were fabulous," Tamaki said. "Where ever did you find the recipes?"

"Um," Alex said, shifting a little in her seat. "An old family friend."

They all froze a little at that. "You mean the woman you called from my father's office?" Kyoya asked.

Alex felt her cheeks warm. "I didn't know you knew about that."

"Yes, well, there is a lot that I know," he said.

Alex looked around at the Host Club. They were all looking at her expectantly, curiosity in their eyes. Even Haurhi and Mori, the two who usually showed the least kind of interest in these things, looked curious for her answer.

"This isn't about the sweets," she said.

They all jumped a little at this.

"We told you she'd catch on, boss," the twins said.

Tamaki glared at them, then smiled at Alex. "Perhaps we just want to get to know you," he said innocently.

"Uh-huh," Alex said.

"What Tamaki senpai means," Haurhi said, pulling the president back into his seat, "is that we wanted to apologize for the silent treatment. We thought you didn't want anything to do with us after you fell."

Alex nodded…the shook her head. "One thing you should know is that I rarely mean what I say when I'm like that. Or that I always regret immediately after I've calmed down." She pursed her lips, afraid of saying too much.

Tamaki's face—as well as the others—showed relief. "Thank goodness!" he exclaimed. It seemed that his conscious, too, has been cleared.

"But we also kinda want to know more about you," one of the twins said. "Like how your birthday is in December," he nodded to her hands, which were hidden under the table.

 _So that's Kaoru_ , Alex thought, and feeling as if she'd made a huge discovery.

She brought her hand out from under the table, letting the blue gem sparkle in the light.

Honey, who was sitting next to her, leaned over. "Oohh, pretty!" he exclaimed. "Where did you get that?"

"A friend from back home," she said simply.

"Do you mean Adam?" Kyoya asked.

Alex felt her blood freeze. Her body became completely still. Ever so slowly, she turned to look at him, trying to keep her expression neutral. "Adam, yes. How did you know?"

Kyoya opened his black book and pulled out a piece of paper. He set it on the table and pushed it towards her. She felt her stomach drop when she saw it. It was a newspaper article from about six years ago, and there was a picture of her, Adam and Ally smiling happily at the camera.

"Why didn't you ever mention that you were a part of a set of triplets?"

* * *

Alex stared at him. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. The color had gone out of her face.

The Host Club waited silently, eager for her answer.

Kyoya had found the article the night before, while he'd been on the conference call with the rest of the club. That was when he'd told them, completely cutting off Tamaki's tangent. Everyone seemed genuinely surprised, but Kyoya most of all. He'd been more surprised and annoyed that his father hadn't told him, and he distantly wondered if his brothers had known.

And from Alex's face, he wasn't supposed to know this.

Finally, though, she clamped her mouth shut and took a breath. "Where do you want me to begin?" she said in a slightly shaky voice.

"How about why I didn't know about this," Kyoya said.

She nodded, as if that seemed fair to her. "Mr. Ootori wanted to keep it silent for as long as possible. How would it look on him if people knew that he'd taken in only one orphan who happened to be one of three? And not only three siblings, but triplets?" she shrugged.

Kyoya nodded, understanding now. It would have damaged his father's reputation of that was known.

"Tell us about them," the twins said. They were interested to know, as they didn't interact with other sets of twins that much, let alone triplets.

Alex shrugged. "Well, first of all, their names are Adam and Ally. We're five minutes apart, exactly, from each other. Adam's technically oldest, then Ally, then me." her hand went to her neck. She hesitated for a moment before slipping her fingers under the collar of her dress and pulling out a gold chain. She raised it above her head and showed them all the locket with a glittering A on the front. When she opened it, five people smiled back at them. On one side was a picture of the three siblings, though more recent than in the article photo. On the other was a picture of her parents.

They passed it around so everyone could get a good look. "People always say that it's odd," Alex went on. "We're, biologically speaking, fraternal, what with Adam being a boy. But that's about where it stops. Ally and I look identical, save for the eyes." She was right. Ally had green eyes that were just as startling as Alex's blue ones. She smiled a little. "Mom and Dad said that it was the only way that they could tell us apart for a long time after we were born. Before we devolved personalities anyway. Ally's always been the more…outgoing one, you could say. She's not as quiet as me, anyway. And Adam…well people always said that Adam was the prefect mix. His eyes a blue green, and his personality reminds everyone of me one moment and Ally the next." Alex's voice had taken on a stronger tone. This was something she was comfortable talking about, and it was obvious from the start.

"Don't get me wrong, we're all very much alike. You wouldn't think it if you knew us separately, but once we get in the same room, it's like we're one person."

"How did you get separated?" the twins asked.

Alex's face lost its light, nostalgic tone. She looked down at her hands. "After Mom and Dad died…things kind of fell apart. We tried so hard to stay together, but it just wasn't possible. People didn't want triplets, they didn't want that kind of responsibility in their foster homes, so it was really hard for the social worker to find homes for us. We were able to stay together for a year and then," her voice broke a little. "We didn't have a choice. It…" she took a shaky breath, "it was really hard on all of us for a while. It still is, sometimes. But we've gotten to where we can survive off of sending each other gifts and letters wherever we are."

"Letters? Why not phone calls?" Haurhi asked.

Alex looked away. "Because we're not always near a phone."

Understanding dawned on them, Kyoya at least. She hadn't been just saying things when she said that she'd lived on the streets. And apparently, her siblings had lived the same way.

Hiakru and Kaoru clung to each other. They couldn't imagine being away from each other for that long. They could barely imagine being away from each other at all. And they didn't miss how Alex was purposely not looking at them.

She took another shaky breath. "But it's okay. We're all in a good place right now."

"Where are they?" Honey asked, gently and kindly.

"Well, Adam's in New York—"

"Where you were?" Haurhi asked.

She nodded. "I stayed with his foster family for a while after…" she cleared her throat, "well, I'd rather not get into that. But after a rough time for me, it was decided that I could use some time with my brother. And they were right. Being back with him was like therapy. Not to mention that the family he's with is the sweetest. I can see why he loves it there. I did too," she sighed. "But it wasn't a permanent thing. I think they planned on sending me here from the beginning.

"Anyway, Ally's in Demark, I think."

"You think?" the twins asked.

She shrugged. "Her family moves around a lot. It's more for educational purposes than anything else. Her foster mother is a strong believer in life being its own form of education. They move from city to city, country to country, and stay there until Geneva decides that they've learned everything that there is to know there."

"Where has she been?" Tamaki asked.

"Most of the countries in northern Europe."

"So you haven't seen her in a while, I would assume," Tamaki went on.

Alex shook her head. "Though, weirdly, I hear from her more than I do Adam. I guess because she has more to talk about."

"But Adam was the one who sent you that ring?" Kaoru asked.

Alex nodded. "He said he saw it and thought I'd like it," she shrugged. "We send little gifts to each other all the time. And pictures."

"Pictures?" Kyoya asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Since we can't physically speak to each other, and not everything can fit into a letter no matter how long you make it, we send pictures to show what we've been doing. Little moments we thought the others would enjoy or sceneries to make each other jealous."

Kyoya and Tamaki glanced at each other. "Would you say that your pictures are good?"

She looked taken aback by the question. "I don't personally think so," she said slowly.

"But you're in the photography club," Kaoru said.

"And Ms. Hayashi's favorites," Hikaru added.

She blinked at them. "What do you—"

"I've taken personal responsibility of keeping up with you, Alexandria," Kyoya said. "I asked Ms. Hayashi to give an update every two weeks, and she just couldn't help but show us some of your works. I must say, they are unique."

Alex flushed. "I thought we were talking about my siblings," she murmured.

"Yes," Kyoya said. "However, that's not the only reason we brought you here. See, we wanted to know if you trust us enough to tell us something personal, because we don't really accept it when people beat around the bush like you do." Alex looked at him with wide eyes.

"And you passed the test! Though we were all very curious to see what the story was behind your siblings," Tamaki said.

Alex looked back and forth between them. "Wait…what's happening?" she asked.

Kayoy closed his black book. "Why, we're offering you a position in the Host Club as our official photographer.

 **There you have it! Sorry if it's not the best, but I felt the need to explore Alex's past a little bit more.**

 **Nevertheless, hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review, as I love to hear your thoughts.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hiya everyone! I'm back from my unannounced (sorry!) hiatus. I really am sorry for being gone for so long, but life hit hard for a while there and I haven't had time to write. School has just been taking up most of my time. But I'm back! And I'll try to keep the updates on the same schedule as usual.**

For a moment, Alex just sat there, staring at them. Then anger started to bubble to the surface.

"You mean to tell me," she said in a calm, even tone. "That I told you practically my life's story, and it was all just a test?" the word test came out sharper than the others were expecting.

"Well," Kyoya said, not at all ashamed. "Yes."

Alex folded her hands in her lap. She looked over at Haruhi, who at least looked sheepish. "May I have my locket back, please?" she asked. Slowly, the other girl complied. Alex slipped the locket back over her head and tucked it back under her dress.

"Well?" Tamaki asked.

"No," Alex said, standing up.

Silence. Then, "What?"

"I said no," Alex said simply, gathering her things.

Suddenly, two pairs of hands were covering her bag and camera. She looked up to see the twins looking down at her, their eyes serious. Huffing, Alex straightens up, folding her arms over her chest. "Look, it was nice of you to offer, but I just told you things that I typically never tell anyone, and you treat it as a joke. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving." She looked at the twins, but they still didn't move.

"That's precisely why we asked," Tamaki said.

Alex blinked, turning her attention to him.

"You see," he goes on. "It's not healthy to keep so many secrets. I thought that maybe your attacks were caused by carrying too much of a burden." He stood and walked around the table to stand in front of her. "We want to help you, and by accepting this job, we can." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, we should have made that clear before."

It took Alex a second to take in what he was telling her. Finally she sighed and sat back down.

Seeming satisfied, Tamaki returned to his seat as well.

"What's the catch?" she asked after a moment, directing the question to Kyoya.

"Well," Kyoya responds. "You will be required to attend all Host Club events, as well as create the photo magazines for the ladies."

Alex's gaze didn't waver. "And what do I get in return?"

The others glanced at each other. Obviously, they hadn't thought that she would accept.

"Aside from the all-expense paid trips that we tend to take?" Kyoya asked. "What would you like?"

Alex thought about it. What did she want? Money, maybe, if she ever needed to run again. It would be good to have. But then, she could find other ways to do that. The first thing that really came to her head was to see Adam and Ally every now and again, but she knew that wasn't possible. Besides, that was far out of the Host Club's reach.

So what could she get out of this?

She looked down at her camera, which had been returned to her side by the twins. "A new camera," she says. "The best you can find."

Kyoya nodded, as if the request were simple. "And," she went on, "a present for Adam and Ally whenever we go to a new place. It's something we like to do for each other." Again, Kyoya nodded, writing in his black book.

"Is that all?" he asks.

Alex thought. What was something that she'd never been able to have for herself before?

"A cat."

Kyoya's hand stopped moving and looked up at her, along with everyone else. "A…cat?" he asked.

"A kitten," Alex says without hesitation.

"Umm….why?" one of the twins asked.

Alex shrugged. "I've never had one before."

After studying her long enough to make her feel embarrassed, Kyoya finished writing and snapped his book shut. "Very well," he says, adjusting his glasses.

Tamaki stood, smiling. "Welcome, Alex Wright, to the Ouran High School Host Club!"

* * *

Alex awoke the next morning to Sarrii shaking her, as always. "Time to get ready miss," she says.

Alex sighs and rolls over on her back. "When isn't it time to get ready?"

"When you've got nothing to do," Sarrii responded from the bottom of the loft. She was already getting Alex's uniform together for her.

Alex watched her from the staircase, leaning against the railing thoughtfully. "I can do that, you know."

Sarri just smiled up at her. "Go and get in the shower. You don't want to be late."

Alex stretched and made her way towards the bathroom. "I suppose I don't."

When she emerged from the shower, finding her uniform hanging neatly on the bathroom door, she couldn't help but smile a little. How was the maid able to slip in and out of the bathroom without her noticing? A few months ago, it would have been something Alex was all too well a tune to.

Putting the uniform on, she returned to her room to finish getting ready, only to see Kyoya sitting on her sofa, one of her books in his hand. He didn't seem to notice when she came back in, so she cleared her throat to get his attention. Slowly, he lowered the book to his lap, adjusting his glasses. "This young man seems very…naïve." He says.

Curiously, Alex peeked over his shoulder to see what he was reading, and had to cover her mouth to hide her smile, but there was no hiding her snicker.

Kyoya turned at the sound, but Alex was already making her way to the dresser where she kept her small amounts of jewelry. She could see him looking at her through the mirror that covered the wall. "What is so funny?" he asks.

Alex bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Nothing. Just…have you never read _Harry Potter_ before?"

"Is that the name? Well, it makes sense, I suppose," he answers.

Again, Alex had to hold back from laughing, however he must have seen the amusement in her eyes. "What is it?" he asks.

She shakes her head, picking up her locket and draping it around her neck. Then she picks up her brush to runs it through her hair. "You just…seem like the type who would keep up with young adult literature, that's all. And because it's such a popular series…" she shrugs, setting the brush down. She the scoops up her two charm bracelets—her two most prized possessions behind the locket.

"Hm," Kyoya said, studying the book. "Perhaps I should educate myself."

Biting back another smile, Alex turned to walk over to him, plucking the book out of his hands. "You may want to start with the first one then." it didn't occur to Alex until she was returning the book to its place. She couldn't remember the last time she and Kyoya had had an actual conversation together that didn't involve some kind of awkward pause or making her want to crawl under her bed.

Then again, books are always a safe topic.

She handed Kyoya the first volume, which seemed embarrassingly small compared to the rest. "So is there a reason you came in here?" she asked, walking over to the side of the staircase to retrieve her shoes. She sat on the couch, tugging them on.

"Yes," Kyoya responds, motioning to a box sitting on the coffee table, on that she hadn't noticed before. "I've brought you your camera."

Alex froze for a moment, staring at the box. She hadn't expected them to get it that quickly. Pulling on her last shoe, she reached for the box and opened it. A beautiful, shiny camera sat inside, protected by packing peanuts. She pulled it out, examining it in wonder.

She has never seen anything more beautiful.

Kyoya watched with some amusement as Alex examined the camera. She held it as if it were the most precious thing in the universe, as if she were afraid that she was going to break it.

"Of course," Kyoya said, interrupting her reverie. "You aren't expected to start until next week, however we thought that you should have time to get used to a new camera. As yours are…" his voice trailed off as he looked at the few cameras around the room, "outdated."

She stared at him a moment, and suddenly that shy girl was back. It was as if the girl who had nearly laughed at him had never existed. She ducked her head, her eyelashes fluttering, her still damp hair covering her face. She cleared her throat, as if she were afraid to speak. "Thank you."

"Well, it was part of our agreement," Kyoya responds, and he doesn't miss the light shad of pink her cheeks turn. He stands then, tucking the book under his arm. "I'll let you finish getting ready," and with that he walks out of the room, Alex's gaze following him the whole way.

* * *

Alex was glad when she walked into class to a normal scene. People were scattered around the room in their little groups, laughing and talking. One of the twins, whom she assumed was Hikaru, was leaning against her empty desk, talking with his brother while Haruhi worked on something at her desk.

She could feel the stares that had been following her ever since the school had found out she was an orphan. She could hear the whispers and the laughs that followed her and haunted her nightmares.

But when Hikaru caught sight of her and Kaoru followed his gaze, when they each gave her a warm, welcoming smile and called her over like she were an old friend, she found that she could ignore the stares and whispers. At least for a little while.

That afternoon she had some free time. Her photography club meeting had been canceled due to a personal emergency on Ms. Hayashi's part. Alex had no intention of going to the Host Club while it was in session, not until she had to anyway. So she spent her time outside with her new camera.

It was a cool, autumn day, prefect for taking pictures. The colors around her were bright and vibrant in the sun, making her think of the house she grew up in.

She wondered the grounds for a while, going from garden to garden, trying to get different shots of as many things as possible, and figuring out how to use her new camera. It's a simple and mind numbing process, and as she took photo after photo, she couldn't help but remember a day not too unlike this one, though when she was much younger and innocent…

* * *

"Lexie, Adam, come on!" Ally exclaimed, running ahead of her brother and sister, who were hurrying to keep up with her.

"Ally, wait up!" Alex called after her. "Where are we going?"

They were the woods that resided behind the stables, the usual place where someone could find the triplets on a nice day. Yellow, red and brown leaves covered the ground like a blanket, as well as hanging above them in the trees, sometimes falling to join the others. Ally was leading them further and further into the woods, hoping over fallen trees and roots that were jutting out of the ground.

"Hurry up slow pokes!" Ally called, giggling as she disappeared behind yet another tree trunk.

Adam and Alex exchanged exasperated looks. "She does realize not everyone has the fastest time on the cross country team?" Alex muttered to her brother as they too leaped easily over the trunk.

Adam chuckled, taking her hand so they could run easily next to each other. "She's Ally," was all he said in response.

Of course that explained their sister perfectly. Ally always lived in her own little world, sometimes having a large imagination. It was Alex and Adam who had to make her see reason when her ideas got a bit over her head. When she got like this, though, they didn't have a choice but to go along for the ride.

Finally, though, Ally stopped, waiting for them to catch up with her. She put her finger to her lips to tell them to be silent, then pointed to a clearing where it looked like a herd of deer were lounging around a lake.

It wasn't much of a surprise. They saw deer all the time on the farm and in the woods. But this was an honest to goodness herd of deer. There were does, bucks and fawns all around, maybe a couple dozen of them. Some were lying down, some were grazing, and some were drinking from the lake. Mothers kept close to their babies, who seemed so small to the triplets.

The three hid behind a tree a couple yards away so they would disturb the animals. Ally nudged her sister. "Go ahead, get the shot!" she whispered.

Alex looked at her, then back at the beautiful scene before her. Ally was right, it was the perfect shot. No wonder ally had made sure that Alex had brought their family's old camera. Alex took a breath, inching closer to get a better angel. She was afraid of startling the deer, but they didn't seem to notice her. She crouched and held her camera up.

As soon as she had gotten the shot, she backed up slowly back to her siblings. They watched the deer for a while before Ally tugged them away. They walked a few miles before any of them said anything.

"How in the world did you find that?" Adam asked.

Ally shrugged, obviously very proud of herself. "I was walking through this morning before either one of you woke up. I just…found them." she shrugged. "Honestly I was worried that they would be gone by the time I got you two out here. I knew it was the perfect shot."

Alex threw her arm around her sister's shoulders. "Well, as always, you were right."

Ally flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically. "And when, dear sister of mine, am I not?" she said, just as dramatically.

Suddenly, there was an arm around both of them. "Plenty of times. Don't get a big head Allison."

Ally gasped in feigned surprise. "Who? Me?"

The siblings broke down in laughter then. The girls parted to allow Adam to walk between them. They each linked an arm through his. "Don't you just love the fall?" Alex says, lying her head on her brother's shoulder.

She couldn't remember another time when she'd felt so at peace.

* * *

Alex smiled at the memory. It had been one of those sunny autumn days where a person just couldn't resist running outside and jumping into a pile of leaves.

She remember that when they'd gotten home, their mother had been furious. They'd all just run out of the house without telling her where they were going or what they were doing. Even when they explained what they'd been doing, she didn't soften. However their father had been proud that they'd gone out of their way to get a good shot and had immediately taken the camera to see the picture.

It had, indeed, turned out very beautiful. Ally had clapped happily, beaming at her sister while Adam just gave her an approving pat, knowing that he would get to then paint the picture. Their father had scooped her up in his arms—even though she'd been way too big for that at the time—and spun her in a circle, saying he'd never been able to take such a beautiful picture and that he was so proud of her for getting the shot. Then he'd taken Ally's hand and spun her ballet style, praising her on finding the shot in the first place.

Their mother, though still angry at them for not telling her what they were doing, had smiled a little when she'd seen the photo. Though she wasn't a photographer like her husband, she could appreciate something beautiful when she saw it.

Alex figured that she still had the picture somewhere. It had always been one of her favorites.

Suddenly, she heard someone clear their throat. She started and looked away from her camera. It was Haruhi, standing a few feet away.

"Oh, Haruhi," Alex said, letting her camera fall against her chest. "I didn't hear you."

The other girl smiled. "You looked a bit distracted," she agreed.

Alex ran a hand through her hair, something to give them something to do other than fiddle with her camera. "Is everything okay?" she asked, though she didn't see why things wouldn't be.

"Yes," Haruhi answered. "Kyoya senpai sent me to find you. We're finished with guests for the day, but we have to stay a little longer to plan for the upcoming winter dance. You're welcome to join us."

Alex considered declining. She liked being out in the peaceful gardens surrounded by all of the colors. However she figured that she would have to start spending time with the Host Club eventually. Why not start now?

"Alright," she said, going to join the other girl.

Haruhi smiled, as if she were relieved that Alex had accepted.

"You looked like you had ben remembering something happy," Haruhi said after they walked for a while in comfortable silence.

Alex glanced at her. "How could you tell?"

"Because you were smiling," Haruhi says in a matter-of-fact tone. "And it wasn't a polite smile for teachers or a small one. It was real."

Alex looked down at her feet, her cheeks reddening.

"So what was it, if you don't mind me asking?" Haruhi asked.

The same faraway look appeared in her eyes that had been there earlier. "Oh, just a day with Adam and Ally, before the accident. We were around eleven, and we were in the forest behind our house, where Ally had found a herd of deer. She got Adam and me up much too early for a Saturday and took us all the way out there without telling us where we were going," she shook her head.

Haruhi smiled. "You three are pretty close, aren't you?"

Alex sighed, almost sadly. "Yeah, we are."

"But you miss them."

Something like a chuckle escaped from Alex's lips. "Of course I do. Every day."

Haruhi couldn't help but admire Alex's certainty. She admired how the siblings didn't seem to let anything sever their relationships with each other.

When they reached the club room, Alex walked in without hesitation. The club was sitting around a table, Tamaki at the head of it, with Kyoya on his right and the twins at his left. Honey and Mori sat beside Kyoya, with two chairs across from them.

Tamaki turned when the door opened and smiled at the girls. "Alex! I'm so glad you could join us!" he exclaimed.

Alex just nodded and followed Haruhi to the two empty seats.

"Here, Arekku-chan, I saved you a piece of cake!" Honey said, pushing a plate of chocolate cake towards her.

Alex's lips tugged into a small smile. "Thank you Honey senpai."

"Okay, back to business," Tamaki said as Alex took a bite of cake.

"Well, so far we have the lay out figured out. I've double checked with the school administration and we have approval for all but one room," Kyoya said, looking at his laptop.

"Which one?" the twins asked.

"The second floor west wing conference room."

Alex couldn't help but wonder how big a conference room had to be to 1) be a choice in a room for a dance and 2) to get denied as a room for a dance.

Tamaki sat back, frowning, which was something you don't typically see every day. "Can we do without that one?"

"I believe so. We'll have to take away the game room," Kyoya said.

 _What kind of dance are they planning?_

* * *

Alex watched and listened as the Host Club worked. For the most part, she zoned them out by looking through the pictures on her camera, but every now and then a phrase would catch her attention.

She wasn't really much for parties and dances, but she doubted that she had a choice on the matter this time, especially when she told Ally about it. And Kyoya did say that she pretty much had to follow them everywhere to get pictures. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would let her out of something like this.

"What are we going to do about these empty rooms?" Tamaki asked, bringing her attention back to the conversation.

"Well we have about six unused rooms," Kyoya said.

"We could have a cake room!" Honey put in.

"What about another game room?" the twins asked.

They went back and forth, listing ideas. The only one who was silent was Haruhi, who looked as if she'd rather be at home.

"What do you think Arekku-chan?" Honey asked suddenly, making her look up from her camera. Everyone's eyes turned towards her and she felt herself shrink back a little.

"Um…"

"What should the unused rooms be used for?" Tamaki asked.

"Uh….do you have to use all of them?" she asked.

"If we want to beat the gardening club from last year, then yes," Kyoya responds.

Alex opened her mouth to ask what they were trying to win, but decided she didn't want to know. Instead she sat back and thought.

"You could," she started slowly, gathering her thoughts, "use each room as a different holiday."

They were silent, staring at her blankly.

"I mean," she shifted in her seat, avoiding eye contact with them. "Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated at this time of year, right? So you could decorate each room according to the traditions of other holidays, like Hanukkah. Have games and music that go with the holiday. Even if there isn't anyone at the school who celebrate those holiday's, it would be a good learning experience, if you think about it…" she realized she was babbling and quickly shut her mouth. "Just a thought," she muttered, staring at her lap.

Another silence followed. Then: "it's not a bad idea." It was Haruhi, speaking up for the first time since they got to the club room.

"And it's something no other club has done before," the twins pipe in, warming up to the idea.

Tamaki grinned. "I agree," he says, making Alex's face redden even more.

Kyoya peered at Alex over his laptop, hiding a small smirk.

"I told you she would be a good addition," Tamaki murmured to him as the rest of the Host members started asking Alex how she thought the rooms should look and be coordinated. They didn't pay a bit of attention to them.

"And perhaps," Kyoya says, "this one time you were right."

 ***PLEASE READ! I NEED YOUR HELP!***

 **There you have it!**

 **I did a bit of research for the Christmas stuff, but most of it won't be in detail till the dance chapter, however if anyone who is either from Japan or really knows their stuff, I would really appreciate your help on this matter! I understand that different countries celebrate these holidays in different ways, and I don't want to get something wrong. So any little tidbits would be very helpful.**

 **This pertains to anyone of other religions who don't celebrate Christmas for the "other rooms." Again, I'll do my own fair share of research, but it'd be nice to have facts from people who celebrate these holidays. I want to do it justice! So anything y'all could tell me, that'd be great!**

 **Also, I plan to have Alex spend a whole day out with the Host Club in the next chapter, and I need something for them to do! so, again, anyone who is either native/from Japan or who is knowledgeable on what there is to do in Japan that you can see the Host Club doing, I'd appreciate your help.**

 **The next chapter will be up either around this time next week or this weekend, depending on the feedback I get.**

 **Please review! Even if you don't have anything to say about the above message, I'd love to just hear your thoughts on the chapter itself.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again! Argh, sorry it's been so long AGAIN. School has just been sooo hectic. Anyway, to make up for it, I wrote this extra-long chapter for you guys!**

 **Enjoy!**

"Where did you get that idea anyway?" Kyoya asked on the way back to the house.

Alex jumped, a little startled. They had been riding in silence, as usual, so it was surprising when he spoke.

"The…holiday thing?" Alex turned towards him, her head cocked to the head slightly. He was studying her with an equally curious expression.

"Yes," he answered simply.

Alex felt her cheeks flush slightly. She looked down at her lap, biting her lip. "It's was something we used to do, at home," she admitted. "Mom and Dad would throw this big Holiday Party every year and invite the whole town. We'd have all different kinds of games and decorations and music for all the different holidays."

"So basically you saw an opportunity through this dance to re-live something from your childhood," Kyoya states.

Alex's cheeks reddened even more. "Not consciously," she mutters, "it just seemed like, well, an idea."

Kyoya smirked despite himself. She seemed to be getting to know the Host Club well enough already.

"What's that look for?" Alex asked wearily, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Today she had part of her hair pulled back, like a crown, kept together in the back with a pin, so she couldn't rely on her hair shield.

Kyoya hadn't realized that he had been giving her a look. He just shook his head and returned to looking through the club's expenses for the month.

Alex looked out the window, still a bit startled. For a moment there, it had seemed almost as if Kyoya were smiling at her.

* * *

Alex woke up Saturday morning to her stereo blasting in her ears.

She jerked, sitting up quickly as Aerosmith sounded throughout her room at top level. Her pulse sped and she worried that for a moment she wouldn't be able to breath.

Then the music cut off as soon as her eyes opened and she was sitting up, looking around wildly, the silence almost as startling.

"I told you it was a bad idea," a voice said.

"But it worked," two voices chimed.

Once Alex got her breathing under control, she opened her eyes and looked at the group that had gathered around her. The entire Host Club was in her room, around her bed, and staring down at her. One of the twins held the remote to her stereo, which she'd left on her night table.

"What the…." Alex muttered, rubbing her eyes and trying to get her heartbeat to slow down.

"We tried to wake you up by calling your name," one of the twins said.

"But it didn't work," his brother went on.

"So naturally, you decided to give me a heart attack," Alex muttered, running a hand through her mused up hair.

"Hey did you hear that?" the twins said.

"Alex made a joke," the one on the right said.

Alex sighed and threw herself back down on her bed, covering her eyes with her arm. She was too exhausted to be angry or embarrassed that there were six guys in her room. "What do y'all want?" she muttered, slipping into English because of her sluggish mind.

There was a silence, then she heard a whispered "Kyoya what did she just say?" from Tamaki.

"I believe it is an American slang word for a group of people, or 'you all,'" Kyoya responds.

"Of course!" Tamaki exclaims, as if he knew that all along.

"Arekku-chan, Arekku-chan!" Honey exclaimed, shaking her. "Come on we don't want to be late."

Alex removed her arm from her face and looked at his big, innocent and excited eyes. "Late for what?"

"Why the festival of course!" Tamaki said enthusiastically.

Alex glanced at Haruhi, who looked as if she too would rather be at home sleeping in. "Festival." Alex repeated.

Haruhi just shrugged, like she didn't know what he was talking about either.

"Yes, we thought that it would be a good way for you to start your job," Kyoya says.

Oh yeah. She'd forgotten about that little detail.

"And it's rather chilly outside, so I would dress for that in mind," Kyoya goes on.

"We suggest this," the twin say, holding up a smoke colored dress, a black leather jacket and leggings.

Alex looked cautiously at the outfit. "You went through my things?" she asked. The outfit was one that Ally had sent her, the same night she had given the club their gifts. She'd kept the clothes in the box, not really wanting to think about them. Ally was always sending her clothes she wanted Alex to try on, even though her sister knew that Alex wasn't much for dressing up in any sense.

The twins shrugged. "We got bored."

"Be thankful that's all they did," Haruhi mutters to her.

"Hurry up, Arekusandoria," Kyoya said, making her head snap to him. "We don't have all day."

Alex decided to go with what the twins suggested. She knew she was going to have to wear it anyway, Ally would be expecting it, and she'd never let her sister down, no matter how much she put it off.

When she emerged from the bathroom she found that her room was—thankfully—empty. She added the silver headband Ally had sent with the outfit, her locket—letting it hang freely over her shirt—her two charm bracelets, and the ring Adam had sent her. She pulled on her black boots that went half-way up her calves and a matching belt around her waist.

She doesn't dress up a lot. Not even dress-casual like this. It just wasn't her style. That was all Ally. But when she did, she did it right.

She grabbed her scarcely used messenger bag and her new camera and headed to find the others.

* * *

All Alex had to do was follow the piano music. She found everyone—including the older Ootori brothers—in a sitting room with only a few seats and a grand piano at the center of it.

Alex knew of the room only because of her midnight explorations of the house. When she couldn't sleep, she walked around to help get her mind to calm down. She hadn't had a chance to try out the instrument herself, but it sounded beautiful now, with Tamaki at the keys.

The boy hadn't struck her as someone who would be so gifted at the piano, but watching him play she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. He had the same calm and peaceful look that Adam got when he was painting or playing the guitar.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one had noticed her yet, she snapped a few pictures of everyone, first of Tamaki, then of the others. She was even able to get a picture of everyone in the room, all of them intent on the music.

Only after she was finished did Tamaki open his eyes and notice her standing in the doorway. He stopped playing and smiled at her. "Well, are you ready to go?" he asked.

Everyone's heads turned to look at her. She felt herself shrink away a little at the bewildered looks they all gave her. None of them had ever really seen her in anything other than her uniform, or her comfy clothes. "Yeah," she muttered, "let's get this over with."

They were taking a limo, so that way all eight of them could ride together. Alex, naturally, chose a seat closest to the window, though that was slightly hard as the seats were sideways. Haruhi looked almost as awed as Alex felt, though she was sure that by now the girl should be used to this kind of stuff by now.

The ride involved a lot of the twins and Tamaki bickering about something that Alex didn't care about. She noticed that Kyoya and Mori both looked very disinterested, however Haruhi and Honey watched the trio as if it were the best source of entertainment.

She stifled a yawn. She'd been up half the night, unable to sleep, looking through some of the photos she'd brought with her to pass the time.

"Hey Alex, where did you get those charm bracelets?" Haruhi asked out of nowhere, cutting off the twins and Tamaki's bickering.

Alex looked down at her left wrist, where she wore both bracelets. "They're just presents from Adam and Ally. We bye charms for each other whenever we go to a new city or country."

The seven of them leaned forward a little to get a better look at the charms.

"How sweet!" Tamaki exclaimed, his eyes shining. He put his hand on his cheeks and shook his head, like he couldn't believe it. "What a perfect way to share your adventures with each other!"

Alex almost laughed. Adventures. That was one way of putting it.

"Speaking of your siblings," one of the twins said, one with the huskier voice. He took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. It was a picture—one she must have forgotten to put away the night before, and handed it to her. "I think you left this one out."

"Why didn't you just leave it?" Alex asked, though she didn't' sound angry. If anything, she sounded amused.

The twin shrugged. Beside him, his brother leaned over and took the picture from Alex to get a better look at it. "Why didn't you show the rest of us, Kaoru?"

So that was Kaoru. Alex took note of what he was wearing—a plain white shirt with a blue jacket over it—and filed it away in her mind.

Kaoru shrugged. "Figured it was Alex's decision."

 _Weird_ , Alex thought with some amusement, _that he brought it out while we're all stuck in a car together._

Rolling her eyes, Alex took the picture back. It was one of her, Adam and Ally when they were around seven or eight. They were in a giant apple tree that resided on their property. The three of them were hanging upside down on one of the branches like monkeys, the biggest grins on their faces. They'd tucked their shirts in so that they didn't fall down, and they were holding each other's hands. Their faces were red from the blood rushing to their heads, but none of them seemed to care.

"How adorable," Tamaki says, leaning across Haruhi, who was sitting next to her, to look at the photo.

Haruhi swatted him away, annoyed.

"Why don't you smile like that anymore, Arekku-chan?" honey asked, he too leaning over to get a good look at the picture.

Alex looked away, tucking the picture safely into her purse. "Not much to smile about anymore," she muttered, so low she doubted that they heard her.

* * *

When they arrived it was a flurry of colors and music.

There were hundreds of people milling around, some in tradition Japanese style clothing, some in modern. Decorations were everywhere, all around them. Somewhere in the distance, music was being played.

The group walked under a large arch, welcoming them to them to the festival. Alex couldn't help but look around in wonder. There were vendors selling food, souvenirs, jewelry, and art. She couldn't believe her eyes. She'd never seen so many people packed together before, not even in New York.

Instinctively, she moved closer to whoever was closest to her of the group she was with. Large crows made her nervous. She always felt like someone was following her.

"Don't tell me you're claustrophobic," a voice said, right above her.

She jumped and looked up. The person she had moved closer had been Kyoya, who was looking down at her with a curious expression.

Blushing, she moved away as much as she could without getting separated from the group. "No," she said over the murmuring of the crowd.

Her lie couldn't have been more obvious.

Every time someone brushed against her, she would tense up, and she would look around constantly, as if looking for a way out.

Taking a small bit of mercy on her, Kyoya led the group over to a less populated area to discuss what they were going to do.

Honey senpai wanted to try out all of the sweets in the area. The twins wanted to take Haruhi shopping for some of the clothes (much to hers and Tamaki's objections), while Tamaki wanted to look at everything. No surprise there.

Alex, however, stay silent. She kept looking around, a mix of awe and a little bit of fear in her eyes. However Kyoya could also see curiosity.

He sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Very well, we'll split up for the mean time. Alex," he turned to the girl, who snapped her attention back to him. "You'll have to go from group to group to get the pictures. So once you're finished with one, come fine another."

She looked absolutely terrified at that, but she managed to push it away. "I can do that," she said in a confident tone that didn't match what she was obviously thinking.

"Come with us first, Alex," Hikaru said.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to miss getting this on camera," Kaoru added with a smile.

Haruhi looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. She gave Alex an almost pleading look behind the twin's backs.

"Alright," Alex said with a shrug, seeming a bit relieved.

The group dispersed, and it was only until Tamaki said "Weird, we split up in our years," did Kyoya realize that too.

* * *

It didn't take long for the first years to find the clothes. They were everywhere, in all different kinds of styles.

Alex got pictures of the twins dressing up Haruhi, as well as dressing up themselves. She had to keep herself from laughing at their antics. Haruhi obviously resented being the twin's dress up doll, but still she complied while Alex took the pictures.

Then Hikaru said, "Hey, Alex, it's your turn!" completely taking her by surprise.

Kaoru appeared at her side. "Hand it over," he says, holding gout his hand for the camera. She clung to it, not willing to trust anyone with her brand new camera.

"Come on, I'm not going to break it."

"I'm only supposed to get pictures of you guys," Alex defended, pulling away from him even more.

"You're supposed to get pictures of the Host Club," Kaoru corrected. "Which involves you now. Besides, wouldn't your siblings want to see that you're having a good time?"

Damn. He'd hit the nail right on the head with that.

Reluctantly, Alex slipped the camera over her head and handed it to Kaoru. Immediately, Hiakru took her arm and started picking out different outfits for her to wear. She had to admit, she did have a good time with it. It reminded her of when she and Ally used to play dress up in their mother's clothes.

The saleswoman was nice, helping to figure out what would look best on them. She even posed for a few photos.

They went from booth to booth, trying on everything from kimonos to obis. They traded out the camera, making sure to get photos of everyone.

The crazy part was, after each booth, the twins each bought something. Not for them, though, for Alex and Haruhi. Both tried to deny them, but the twins insisted, pushing the bags into their hands.

Alex even noticed that they had gotten an extra of pretty much everything for her to send to her siblings.

When Alex decided that it was time for her to move on to the next group, she said goodbye to the twins and Haruhi and texted Mori senpai to find out where him and Honey were.

She found them by what seemed to be the dessert corner of the vendors. Anything sweet was located there, and Honey seemed to have bought something of everything.

When she approached, Honey was sitting on a low wall, surrounded by sweets and wrappers. She snapped a quick picture of the two of them together, Mori standing protectively over Honey, glaring at anyone who might look at him weirdly, and Honey pretty much stuffing his face with every sweet Japan has to offer.

"Hey Arekku-chan!" Honey called when he spotted her. He held out a small cake. "You should try this, it's really great!"

Alex accepted to cake, eating it gratefully.

Once Honey was finished with his sweets, he wanted to go see some of the decorations that donned the square. She got pictures of the two of them in front of a giant paper mache dragon, of Honey playing through streamers whilst sitting on Mori's shoulders, of Honey climbing on statues.

Honey, too, insisted on getting pictures with Alex. Mori senpai took most of them, but there were even a few stragners who offered to take some with all three of them. Alex managed to put on her picture smile for these, trying not to think what a stranger could do to her camera.

Then Honey wanted to go back and get more sweets. Alex figured that this would be a good time to find Kyoya and Tamaki, so she bid the cousins goodbye and pulled her phone out to text Kyoya.

The boys were sitting at an outdoor café, having a cup of tea. Tamaki looked up and smiled at her, standing to help her to her seat.

"Gotten sick of the others already have you?" Kyoya asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Hardly. Just doing my job."

"I see," Kyoya says, taking a sip of tea.

Tamaki stretched, turning his face towards the sky, a peaceful smile on his face. "What a beautiful day to be out!" he exclaims.

Alex had to agree with him. It was a sunny day, no clouds in the sky. There was a breeze, which made it chillier than it already was, making Alex grateful for her jacket.

"Haruhi hasn't killed the twins yet, have she?" Kyoya asked.

Alex scoffed at that. "Not since I left them," she answered.

"I just hope those shady twins take care of her," Tamaki said casually leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head.

Alex glanced at him, wondering what that comment was about. She looked at Kyoya, who just had an amused smirk on his lips. He leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of tea.

"Anyway," Alex said after a moment of silence. "What have you two been up to?"

"Enjoying the beautiful day!" Tamaki exclaimed, suddenly very excited. He took something out of his pocket and practically shoved it under Alex's nose. "Look at this stone! Isn't it amazing? It's in the exact shape of a heart!" before she even had a good chance to look at when was in his palm, he'd pulled his hand back, cradling the object. His head snaps up then, as if he'd seen something in the distance. Then, in an instance, he was out of his seat and weaving in the crowd.

Alex raised her eyebrows at Kyoya. She knew that Tamaki was maybe a little…different, but she didn't expect _that_.

Kyoya sighs. "That moron has been running around all day trying to see everything. It's like looking after a child."

Alex bit her lip to keep from smiling, however she couldn't stop the small giggle that escaped her.

Kyoya looked up at the sound. "What is so funny?" he asked.

Alex shook her head. "Nothing," she says, though she kept her eyes down. She stood, scooping up her bags. "We should probably follow him before he hurts himself."

At that, Kyoya does smile, if slightly. He stands as well, and joins the crowd. Alex moves to follow him, quickly glancing down to make sure that she had all of her bags, and froze.

Her left wrist, where she usually wore her charm bracelets, was one short.

Gasping, she spun around, looking around the table where she'd been sitting for it, but saw no signs of it. No glimmer or twinkle of the charms, nothing that looked out of place. Cursing, she dropped her bags and got on her knees, looking around for it under the table cloth. There she saw it, just near the center of the table, where the legs protruded. She started to reach for it when two shadows loomed over her.

Expecting Tamaki and Kyoya, or one of the other Host Club members, Alex turns to greet them.

Only to be taken aback when she sees that it's two complete strangers. They were maybe Kyoya's age, possibly a little older. One was taller than the other, with a shock of obviously bleached hair and hazel eyes. He had a strong build that suggests he worked out. The slightly shorter one had grey eyes and light brown hair, slightly scrawnier than his friend.

And they were grinning right at her.

"Hello, little lady," the bleached one says in a bad attempt of an American accent.

"What's your name?" his friend asks, again attempting to speak with an American accent.

Alex just stared at them, unsure of what to say or do.

Unaffected by her lack of reaction, they continue. "You know, a lady like you shouldn't be crawling around on the ground like that," grey eyes say. "And all alone."

The taller one extended a hand to her. "Why don't you come hang out with us?" he says. "We can show you a real good time."

Alex didn't need a translator to know what that means.

Clearing her voice and trying to settle her nerves, she gets to her feet and tilts her head up to them, focusing her eye on a nearby hanging lantern. "Thank you for the offer, but I'd better go and find my friends." She made her voice as polite as possible, hoping that they would just leave her alone.

"Come on, babe," tall guy says, actually trying to slip an arm around her waist. On instinct, she swatted his arm away.

The boys chuckled, glancing at each other. "Ohhh, she's a feisty one," they cooed.

Alex looked around desperately, hoping to see Kyoya or one of the others, but Kyoya had long since passed through the crowd and disappeared.

Feeling her chest tighten, Alex realized she was on her own.

"Don't fight it, sweetheart," the shorter one said. "We don't bite…much." he grinned, reaching towards her just like his friend had. This time she moved out of his reach, her eyes scanning around for a way for her to run. Surely they wouldn't try anything in such a crowded place. And if she screamed, it would defiantly call attention to them.

But she felt her throat go dry as soon as the thought had passed through her head. Screaming wasn't an option. It was never an option…

Suddenly hands grabbed her. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't noticed both of them reaching for her. Startled, she automatically tried to get out of their grasps. "Let me go!" she exclaimed, trying to elbow them away, which only made them chuckle. A hand covered her mouth, pressing too hard against it for her to bite him, though she tried. Sure enough by now people around them were starting to take notice. Surely someone would help her…

Almost as suddenly as their hands had grabbed her were they ripped away. She heard a stream of cursing—in Japanese this time—from the boys. Alex stumbled forward, away from them, into someone else's arms.

Gasping, she tensed to fight off the person until a familiar voice drifted into her ears. "You meanies leave Arekku-chan alone!"

Alex whirled around, seeing Honey senpai penning the taller boy to the ground, his arms twisted behind him, and Mori senpai holding the shorter one by the scruff of his shirt. "Hey put me down!" he exclaimed, outraged. Mori senpi set him down, but kept a firm hold on him, his face as expressionless as ever.

Tamaki and the twins sauntered up to the boys as if they were taking a leisurely stroll. "Gentlemen," Tamaki says, his voice oddly cold.

"Enjoying the festival are we?" the twins ask, their voices, too, were emotionless.

"Alex," Haruhi says, hurrying over to me. "Are you okay?"

She realized then that she was shaking. Trembling uncontrollably. The arms around her were the only thing that was keeping her from collapsing.

"Arekusandoria," the voice of the person holding her said. Alex looked up and saw Kyoya looking back at her, as expressionless as ever.

Alex didn't have time to say anything. Kyoya put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her towards Haruhi, who took her arm to hold her steady.

Almost as soon as he released her, at least half a dozen officers appeared, surrounding the group.

Immediately, the two boys stopped struggling to get away. They looked, wide eyed, at the officers.

Alex recognized the symbol on the back of their uniforms as that of the Ootori family. Kyoya walked over to who must have been the head officer. "Escort these gentlemen out of the festival, please, and let the authorities know of what trespassed here. And please, keep it silent."

The officer saluted him. "Yes sir!"

Two officers moved towards the boys, who started thrashing again, as much as Honey and Mori would let them.

Their eyes were widened. "She was! She—" his eyes turned to me and thy filled with anger. "You tell them, bitch!" he yells, thrashing in Mori senpai's grip. "Tell them what you did!"

Instinctively, Alex shrunk away. Haruhi's grip tightened on her, but only slightly. Two guards stepped in front of the girls, their clubs out for defense. Another two stepped up behind them.

"Arekusandoria," Kyoya says, turning to Alex, his voice softening slightly. "Go with Haruhi to a quiet place while we finish up here."

Alex didn't move at first, but after Haruhi tugged gently on her arm, she turned and followed the other girl. Without a word, two officers went after them.

* * *

"Sir?" one of the officers said. They had the two boys from Mori senpai and Honey senpai, and were awaiting orders to leave.

Kyoya turned to him. "One moment," he says, approaching the two boys. "What made you target her?"

When they didn't answer, the officers tightened their grip.

"Agh!" the taller one groaned. "She's hot!" he exclaimed. "And she was kneeling on the ground by that table. We figured she was lost."

"So you thought you would take advantage of that," Tamaki says, shaking his head. He frowned at the two boys. "And a gentleman never refers to a girl as 'hot' it's insulting."

The boys looked at him as if he were from another planet.

Kyoya sighed. "Very well," he said to the officers. "Take them."

Once the boys were gone, Kyoya turned to see the twins over by the table where he, Tamaki and Alex had sat. Alex's shopping bags were still on the ground. Kaoru was on his knees, Hikaru holding the table cloth for him.

"Ah," Kaoru says, standing up. "This was what she was looking for." He holds up the charm bracelet.

Of course. She wouldn't stop looking if she'd lost one of her bracelets.

A rustle caught Kyoya's attention. He looked over and saw Tamaki gathering Alex's bags. "Well, gentlemen," he says, straightening with all of the bags in his arms. "We'd better go find the ladies."

* * *

They end up at a fountain that's a bit separated from where the main events were being held at the festival. Haruhi sat Alex down at a bench in front of the fountain, which was surrounded by little kids, all running around it, chasing each other.

"Alex?" Haruhi said. Alex's head snapped up to her. She was studying Alex with concern, looking ready to call for help if she needed to.

Alex took a deep breath. "I'm okay," she promised. Then she remembered her bracelet. Her hand clapped over her wrist. "My bracelet!" she exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "We have to go back! I-I lost it and I need to get it back…"

Haruhi set a gentle hand on her shoulder and sat her back down. "It's okay Alex. I'll call Tamaki senpai and tell him," she promised. Though Alex wanted to go back herself, she found herself nodding. The last thing she wanted at that moment was to go back into that crowd.

But as Haruhi was pulling out her phone, they heard a chorus of voices calling their names.

"Alex!" the twins called, rushing up to her. "Are you okay?" Hikaru asked.

"They didn't hurt you did they?" Kaoru asked.

Alex shook her head. "No. I'm just shaken up," she admitted, surprising herself slightly. Normally, she'd never admit to something like that.

They looked relieved. Kaoru held out his hand. "I think you dropped this," he says, her bracelet sparkling in the sunlight.

Alex took it gratefully. "Thank you so much, Kaoru!" she exclaimed, allowing herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

She didn't see the twins giving each other baffled looks. They hadn't thought she could tell them apart.

"Arekusandoria," Kyoya said, joining them. Alex didn't hear him, though. She was examining her bracelet and muttering to herself.

"The clasp's broken again. I'll have to find a whole new chain this time. Adam's gonna kill me…"

"Arekusandoria," Kyoya says again, this time capturing the girl's attention. "Perhaps we should speak of what just happened."

Biting her lip, Alex slipped the bracelet safely into the small pocket in her purse before turning back to her awaiting audience. Mori, Honey and Tamaki had joined them, Tamaki setting her shopping bags down at her feet.

"There's really not much to tell," she says honestly, keeping her eyes downcast. "They were a couple of pervs who thought I'd be an easy target."

"Did you even try to fight them?"

Alex shrank back a little, not wanting to admit that she'd froze in fear. "Sure," she muttered. "But two against one isn't going to work very well." She brushed off an invisible spot on her leggings.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses, making them glint against the sun.

"Kyoya," Tamaki said softly. "Perhaps we should continue with the festival. That is," he glances at Alex, "if you're okay."

She stood and made an effort at a smile. "I'm fine. I'd like to see more of what this place has to offer. Besides, I don't have near enough pictures." she stoops and grabs her bags. "Thank you for bringing these, by the way," she says to Tamaki.

Tamaki smiles at her. "Of course. Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked, his usual happy mood kicking back in. "I think I saw a man breathing fire a few yards back, let's go check it out!"

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" the twins exclaimed, following their club president. Haruhi, with a sigh, followed them, with Mori and Honey right behind her. Kyoya looked at Alex and motioned for her to go first before joining them.

As they walked Alex didn't miss how the Host members were glancing at her, as if making sure she wasn't going to have another panic attack. Honestly, Alex was a little surprised as well, especially after something like that.

The thing is, though, she felt fine.

"Arekku-chan?" a sweet voice said beside her.

She looked over and gave a small smile to Mori senpai and Honey senpai, who was riding on his cousin's shoulders. "Yes Honey senpai?" she said.

"Are you really okay?" he asked, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. "Your face was really red earlier, and you looked panicked."

Alex sighed and nodded. "Yes, I'm perfectly okay senpai. That kind of stuff," she waves her hand back at the festival. "Happens sometimes. Granted it's never gone that far, but I get crap all the time from immature guys. Girls too sometimes." At that, they turn their heads towards her. She shrugs. "What? It's happened."

"I don't think that's the point, Arekku-chan," Honey says. "I think everyone's just angry that they left you alone." He leans down slightly and lowers his voice so the others can't hear. "Kyo-chan and Tama-chan think that they because they left you, it's their fault, so don't be too hard on them okay?" she pulls away to look at him and he gives her one of his big, innocent grins.

Alex glances at said boys. Tamaki was walking beside Haruhi, trying to engage her into a conversation by showing her the rock he'd found. Kyoya was walking by himself, not too far away from the group, his hands in his pockets and wearing an impassive expression.

With a sigh, Alex shifted her bags, giving herself something to do other than look around at the group.

Would she ever stop messing up the lives of people around her?

 **There you have it! Again, sorry for being gone for so long, but I've now got a week off, so more chapters soon! (Hopefully)**

 **I still need some holiday info, so if you have any facts or advice you can give me, I'd really appreciate it!**

 **As always, please review! It's the best encouragement I can get.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I'm am SO sorry for the long break! First I hit a huge wall in the story and then midterms and Christmas happened…**

 **But I'm back in action! So here's a quick little chapter for you, hope you enjoy!**

"Really?" Alex asked, looking from the grinning twins to the mannequin in front of her.

"If you're a part of the Host Club, then you have to pay the part, right?" they say in unison.

"They're right, you know," Kyoya says from behind them. "You did agree to it."

Alex crossed her arms. "I'm just taking pictures. Wouldn't it make more sense for me to blend in with the crowd?"

"No way," the twins say.

"See you have to show you're a part of the club," the one who Alex thinks is Hikaru says.

"Or else our guest will be curious." this one would be Kaoru.

"So it saves us from having to explain," they finish together.

"Alex," Haurhi says with a sigh, "I find it better not to argue."

Well, that was a lie seeing as she argued with them all the time. Alex bit her cheek to keep from saying the words out loud.

"It's not so bad, Arekku-chan," Honey says, appearing in his high waisted pants and suspenders. He also sported a fedora and leather shoes. Somehow, he made it look adorable.

Sighing but seeing that she had no other choice, she grabbed the top of the mannequin and rolled it into the dressing room muttering, "fine."

"Let us know if you need help with your hair!" the twins call.

"I know how to do my hair!" Alex calls over her shoulder before slamming the door behind her.

* * *

The outfit was a brown skirt with a light blue shirt and a tan trench coat with a pair of black high

heels and a matching belt around the waist. Very 1940's America, which is what the club had been going for.

It was her first day as the official photographer for the Host Club, and already she was starting to hate it. She didn't like dressing up as much as her sister, though she had to admit she knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to this.

Begrudgingly, she got dressed, then used the materials the twins had given her to do her hair and makeup. She'd starred as Bonnie in _Bonnie and Clyde_ not long after she had gone to live with Adam. Distantly, she wondered if somehow the guys found out about that and that's where they got the idea from. If so, she was going to have a few words with her siblings.

* * *

When Alex emerged from the dressing room, the guys had finished dressing as well. They all stared at her as she walked out, looking slightly irritated, but almost…confident. She didn't stumble in the heels, and she didn't fidget with the clothes. They fit her perfectly, they couldn't help but notice, and the bright red lipstick and eye makeup didn't hurt her looks either. She looked like she'd just walked out of a movie.

"Wow you look great!" Honey exclaimed with a grin.

"Very realistic!" Tamaki agreed, looking proud of himself for having helped pick out the clothes for her.

Alex crossed her arms uncomfortably. At this point their compliments were starting to feel like they were mocking her. "Let's just get this over with."

"I agree with Alex," Kyoya says. "However, I do have a request of you. In addition to using your camera, we'd like you to use this one as well for a more…authentic look." he motioned for a large camera with a big light facing out protruding from its side.

Alex stared at it a moment. "You do realize that there are filters to make pictures look old, right?"

Kyoya just smirked. "We're nothing if not thorough with our themes."

Alex glances around. "I'm starting to understand that."

"Very well, gentlemen," Tamaki says, "bring in our guest."

* * *

Her first day went better than she thought it would.

Not.

First of all, the camera Kyoya had told her to use was a nightmare. She couldn't figure out how to work it, then the film kept running out and she didn't understand why. Plus she had to keep replacing it even when she did learn how to use it. She'd much rather stick with her twenty-first century camera, which she did every chance she could.

Since she had to run around taking pictures of everyone, she grew hot in her costume. She ended up having to shuck the jacket, leaving it out of the way. This resulted in her getting chewed out by Kyoya. When she mentioned that no one wore jackets twenty-four seven in any century in America, he backed off, but kept giving her cold looks for the rest of the day (it really sucked because she had to endure an entire ride home with him). The heels made things even worse because she couldn't take them off, but they were new so they were killing her feet. At least the ones she'd worn as Bonnie had been broken in by dozens of rehearsals. She was sure she'd have multiple blisters once this was over with.

Then there were the girls. She could feel them all giving her dirty looks as she passed, though whenever she looked, they were laughing and talking with whoever they had decided to sit with that day. Every now and then, though, she would catch a bit of conversation about her, spoken with barely concealed resentment. Alex suspected that she had made at least twenty new people hate her by the end of the meeting.

At one point, a girl with light brown hair with a big pink bow in it spotted her and started complaining loudly to Kyoya.

"But you never asked me to cospaly with you guys!" she says in a whiny voice.

"You cosplay on your own, Renge," the twins say, having been nearby.

"Yeah, but you never set aside a costume for me like you did her, I always had to do it myself! as your manager, I should be given the same respect!"

Alex had seen the girl before, always hanging around the guys. She was in Alex's class, though Alex had never been bothered enough to learn her name.

"You never expressed interest before in participating in our themed days," Kyoya replies cooly.

"But do I have to? I've been a part of this long enough that you should know me by now!" she seems almost angry when she says this.

"I don't think it really matters, Renge," Haurhi says. "It doesn't make your job any different does it?"

Suddenly, Renge went all gooey eyed. "Do you really think so Haurhi?"

Alex suspected that Haurhi could have outright insulted her rather than doing it subtly like that and Renge would have had the same response.

So, for the most part, she was relatively miserable the whole time, but the guys didn't seem to notice. They ignored her for the most part, though she wasn't sure she expected anything different. They were all too busy with their guest.

For a moment, she did stop to wonder if it was all in her head. The looks, the whispers, the entire club ignoring her. Then she saw one girl glaring at her out of the corner of her and she shook herself. She was just hoping.

* * *

"Is Alex okay, do you think?" Kaoru whispered to his brother. They were standing a little away from the group, not having any guests at the moment. They were watching the girl with concerned eyes. She wasn't smiling and laughing, but she wasn't frowning either, exactly.

Hikaru shrugs. "Who knows? She certainly seems to be fine…"

But Kaoru couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and despite what his brother said, he felt the same way. It seemed that from the moment she walked into the club room, she had deflated slightly, as if she didn't want to be there. That didn't make any sense, because she didn't seem to have had a problem at the festival the other day. Even after the situation with those guys, she had been fine.

Today though…

"I think we're just imagining it," Hikaru says.

Kaoru smiled as a group of girls approached them. "Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

When she was finally able to get out of the costume and back to the Ootori house, Alex discovered that that old-time camera required her to develop the films the old fashion way as well. Great. She didn't even know how they turned out.

Then Kyoya insisted on seeing all of the pictures she had taken on the camera that night—probably as a payback for arguing with him about the jacket in front of guest. So she skipped dinner and spent hours in her bathroom developing all of the photos. She wouldn't take a break, even at Sarrii's insistence.

Then it seemed like _none_ of the pictures had turned out the way she wanted them to. This one was too blurry, that one didn't get everyone in the picture, this one was taken too early, that one didn't take all the way. She was so frustrated at herself for not taking decent enough photos that she shoved them all in a drawer in her desk. She'd just put stupid filters on the ones she'd taken on her normal camera. She'd done it before, so she knew that no one would know the difference.

She set to work on that, but she was too tired and too frustrated to focus very well, so they all ended up terrible too. Slamming her lap top shut, she sat back in her chair.

Sleep. All she had to do was go to sleep to calm her mind.

But she forgot that she wasn't safe, even in her dreams.

Her nightmares were especially horrible that night. They were filled with screams and blood and whispers of voices telling her that she was useless, a burden on everyone she met, a nobody no matter who she lived with. Even the people who she thought were her friends had just been acting. That was their job, anyway, wasn't it? To have pretend romantic feelings for all those girl? She wasn't any different…

* * *

"Miss? Sarrii knocked on the door to Alex's room, but no greeting came. That was odd. The light was on, shinning from under her door. Although Miss Alex did tend to sleep with the lights on…

Sarrii gently pushed the door open, poking her head inside. The room looked normal. Pictures were strewn everywhere, books were piled up on the tables. Somehow, though, Sarrii knew that something was off. She hurried up the steps to the bed, only to find it empty, the sheets disturbed, as if someone had been thrashing around in them before throwing them off.

"Alex?" Sarrii called, but no answer came. Frowning, she went down to the bathroom, where the red light had been turned off. She wasn't in there, and the shower and sinks were dry. She hadn't been in here for a while.

"Sarrii?" a voice said from the doorway.

The maid jumped and she turned, finding Master Kyoya standing there, dressed and ready for school. "Where is Alex? We're going to be late."

"That's the thing, Master Kyoya. I can't find Miss Alex anywhere."

Kyoya frowned, glancing around the room. "She's not in bed?"

"No, sir. It looked as if she had been having a nightmare and gotten out of bed. And her bathroom is empty too."

Now he was alert. He strode around the room, looking in any spot where Alex could have been hiding, but coming up empty. Sarrii helped him, finally going over to the closet. She opened it and turned the lights on, thoroughly looking in the room. She looked behind all of the hanging clothes and even in some of the drawers, just to be sure. But it was simple. Alex wasn't anywhere to found.

"Tell the other servants to start searching the house," Kyoya says, sounding so much like his father that Sarrii had to do a double take before she hurried off to do as he told her to.

Alex wasn't in Kyoya's room, nor in any of the guest rooms. She wasn't in Kyoya's brother's rooms or his father's. She wasn't in his father's office. She wasn't in the kitchen or the lounge or anywhere. No one could find her. The servants looked everywhere in the house, but she had simply vanished.

"Have you checked the gardens, sir?" one of the servants asked.

It was worth a try, so they looked. The gardens at the Ootori house was rather small, but big enough to satisfy his mother and sister, when they were there.

In the end, they found her crouched behind a bush of violet roses, trembling and sobbing, her hands over her ears. She jumped when they found her, pushing back the bush. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared up at them, though from what, none of them could tell.

"Please don't tell him," she sobbed. "Don't tell him don't tell him. He'll hurt me. He'll send me away. He'll take me to horrible, awful places…" she kept rambling begging them not to tell _him_.

"It's alright," Sarrii said gently, "we're not going to say anything."

But she kept on rambling and sobbing, so much that eventually they couldn't tell what she was trying to say.

Kyoya turned back to the servants. "Back to your duties. And remember, not a word to my father or brothers."

There was a chorus of "yes sir" and the servants went back into the house. Kyoya turned his attention back on Alex, who was had started rocking back and forth, her head bent down. After a moment of watching her, Kyoya sat down next to her. She looked up in surprise, but Kyoya kept his gaze forward. He just sat there, close enough to touch her, but not. He just let her cry and sob and mutter things only she understood. Eventually, she sagged against him, seeming to have given in to some unknown force. She'd stopped crying, but she was still trembling, and badly. When that stopped, they still just sat there in silence.

Alex reached out a hand, towards the slowly wilting roses. "Pretty," she mutters. "Roses. They're beautiful until they hurt you with their thorns. But they don't lose their beauty, you just learn to not trust even the most beautiful things."

She was rambling, Kyoya knew, but there was something in the back of his mind that wondered if maybe she was speaking from experience.

Kyoya helped Alex back to her room, putting her to bed. He told Sarrii that she would be staying home, and to call the car around for him. He went and changed into a uniform that didn't have dirt on it. When he emerged, he couldn't help but glance at Alex's room.

Before he left, he went back out to the garden. He doubted that Alex would remember what she had said, but he wouldn't.

When he returned to the front of the house, the driver was waiting for him, holding the door open. "It looks as if we might get a bit of rain," the driver says offhandedly.

Kyoya glanced at the sky. Sure enough, dark clouds seemed to be gathering on the horizon. For a moment, he found himself hoping that there wouldn't be too much thunder, for all of their sakes.

* * *

When Alex woke up, she was disoriented. Her eyes were puffy, she had a headache and she felt as if she had been kicked by a horse (it wouldn't have been the first time). She rubbed her eyes, and rolled over, her eyes falling on a single, violet rose.

 **I hope everyone had a good Christmas/whatever you celebrate at this time of year!**

 **Please review! Reviews are the fuel that keeps me writing, so please leave your thoughts.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Another chapter for another day! Hope you all enjoy!**

"Hey, Kyo-chan, Tama-chan!" Honey senpai calls when he spots the other hosts in the dining hall. He was sitting with the other Host Club members, all except Alex. The two boys join them, Tamaki smiling and bubbly as usual, though Kyoya seemed unusually distant.

"Kyoya senpai, where's Alex today?" Haurhi asked, being one of the only people who noticed Kyoya's more-distant-than-normal mood.

The question caught the other's attention, and they turned to look at Kyoya, who continued to eat his food. "Is something wrong with Arekku-chan?" Honey asked, his eyebrows creasing with worry.

Kyoya set his knife and fork down and dabs at his mouth with a napkin. "Alex is fine, she was just feeling ill this morning."

Tamaki studies his friend. Something was off with the way he talked about Alex. "Well," he says, "perhaps we should pay our Alex a visit after school. Being home sick all day must get boring after a while."

"I don't think that's necessary," Kyoya says before any of the other members could jump on the plan. "She wouldn't want to get any of you sick."

Tamaki frowns slightly, but he lets the subject go for the moment.

* * *

When Kyoya arrived home that afternoon, he was greeted with the sweet sounds of piano music. He sighed, wondering how loud Alex needed that stereo to be. He made his way down the hall to his room, but paused outside of it. He was right by Alex's room, but the music wasn't that much louder than it had been at the front door. Frowning, he peaked inside the room, but it was empty, and clear that the stereo wasn't on.

After dropping his things off in his room, he went down to the lounge room where they keep the piano. Sitting at the keys was Alex, looking as relaxed as ever, completely different from how she was that morning.

Kyoya watched her for a while as she played. She kept her eyes open and on the keys, but it was clear that she was lost in what she was doing. He was used to watching Tamaki play, so he couldn't help but mark the differences. Tamaki always played as if it were the easiest thing in the world for him, whereas Alex was making and obvious conscious effort to play. She looked as if she were enjoying herself, though. She wore the same look Tamaki always did whenever he was playing. She wasn't half bad, either.

Suddenly, the music stopped. Kyoya looked up and saw Alex staring right back at him, looking as if he'd caught her doing something wrong.

"Ah, I'm sorry," she says, getting up from the bench. "I-I just wanted to—"

Kyoya cut her off by walking towards her, gently pushing on her shoulder so she would sit back down. She looks up at him in surprise. "If you had told us you could play piano earlier," he says, "perhaps Tamaki would have tried harder to convince you to join us."

Alex rolls her eyes. "How does my playing piano affect any of you?"

Kyoya shrugs. "Point taken." He nods to the piano. "Well, don't let me stop you."

Alex glances at him, but she continues to play softly, little notes at first, then a full out song. One that she knew by heart, so she could still play and talk to Kyoya at the same time. "Look, about this morning…"

Kyoya's face darkened slightly. "There's no need to talk about it," he says, turning away from her.

Alex looks down at the keys, watching her fingers dance across them. "I-I just wanted to say sorry. For worrying you. For causing you to look for me. I-I don't know what came over me."

Kyoya looked over his shoulder at her. Her head was bent over the keys, though she looked as far away as the moon. "You were acting weird all day yesterday," Kyoya says matter-of-factly. "The whole club noticed. We didn't think it was because you disliked the costume that much. Then you locked yourself in your room all night and refused to eat anything. Something caused you to go off like that, and I think you know exactly what it was."

Alex's face flushes. "I was…scared I guess. Nervous. I-I didn't want to disappoint you guys, I guess."

"What a stupid thing to be nervous about," a pair of voices say by the door.

Alex looked up to see the rest of the club standing in the doorway, watching her. She shot to her feet with a jolt, her face turning a bright shade of red. Tamaki walked over to her and set a hand on her shoulder. "My dear Alex," he says gently, "what a beautiful ear for music you have."

She looked from him to Kyoya to the rest of the club and back to Kyoya. "You told them, didn't you?"

"He didn't have to," Haruhi says.

"Yeah there's no way you would miss a day of school if you were feeling sick," one of the twins say.

"Not unless it was really bad," the other one says.

Suddenly there were arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. She looked down and of course there was Honey senpai, smiling up at her. "We don't want you to get hurt again Arekku-chan," he says. "So next time you're feeling upset, come talk to one of us. We'll make you feel better."

Alex smiled sadly down at the boy and gently pulled his arms off of her. "I wish it were that simple Honey senpai, but I don't think any of you can stop the nightmares."

"You like to write, don't you?"

Everyone looked over at Kyoya, who had been pretty much silent throughout the exchange.

"Your room is filled with journals," he says in his usual matter-of-fact tone. "So I assumed. Perhaps you should add a journal to your collection. Whenever you have a bad dream, write it down when you wake up. It'll help to get your feelings down on paper."

"Hey, that's a good idea, Kyo-chan!" Honey exclaims. "I think I'll do that too."

"Us too!" the twins chime in.

"I think it's brilliant!" Tamaki says, setting his arm around Alex's shoulders. "I think we should all keep our own dream journal!"

Alex found herself smiling, if only slightly, at all of them. They were all pretty moronic, but their hearts were in the right places. Even if they believed her about being nervous, it didn't seem to matter. "Alright," she says slowly. "I think I'll try it."

Everyone was smiling at her now, as if they were happy to have at least helped her a little. She felt grateful that they didn't ask what had caused her attack this morning or press her for information, though she was sure that they were curious. She couldn't believe she had felt as if they hadn't cared about her just a few hours before.

They really were changing her, and maybe for the better, because for the first time in two years, she didn't pull away from another boy's touch.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Alex asked for maybe the hundredth time. And again, Kyoya ignored her, continuing to write away in his little black book.

Alex slouched back against the seat with a sigh. It had been a few days since her last attack, and she had been feeling better, if not great. She'd managed to figure out how to make the pictures work, and had impressed Kyoya by already creating a layout for the picture magazines he wanted to sell.

Then today after school the twins had lead her outside under the pretense of taking pictures in the garden, only to shove her into the Ootori car, where Kyoya was waiting. She'd pressed and pried for information, but the boy was as stubborn as a wall.

Out the window she could see other cars following them, so she assumed this was a club thing. So why the secrecy?

She sighed and leaned her head back to close her eyes. Nothing, she thought, would help her understand these guys. Even Haruhi, being the only other girl, was hard to read. In a way she could see how people would mistake her for a boy. With the haircut and the uniform, she pulled off the look, but there was also something about her, something that just didn't scream _Hey! I'm a girl!_

Maybe that was what they were going for, or maybe it was just Haruhi. She made a mental note to ask the other girl later. Maybe they could have a day to themselves when the two of them could just hang out…

The car stopped suddenly, making Alex jump and snap out of her thoughts. She tried to peak out the window, but Kyoya as well as the tinted windows blocked her view. He motioned for her to get out, and she did, wondering what on Earth was happening to her right now.

Kyoya came out beside her and put his hands lightly on her shoulders, keeping her back turned to wherever they were. All Alex could see was a parking lot, which didn't offer many clues.

A moment later, the rest of the club joined them, all of them looking excited in one way or another.

"Come on!" Honey exclaimed, racing past Alex and Kyoya, Mori strolling after him.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Tamaki said. "Come on Haruhi, let's go look at all of them." grabbing Haruhi's hand, he took off, Haruhi protesting without much effort.

"Hey Alex, Kyoya senpai, you coming or what?" one of the twins said as they too walked past.

Finally, Kyoya allowed her to turn around and she saw that they were at what looked to be a shopping mall.

She raised her eyebrows and looked up at Kyoya. "All that," she says slowly, "for a mall?"

Kyoya just smirked and waved the driver past. Then he held his arm out to the side, motioning for her to go first. "After you."

Shaking her head, Alex followed the others inside.

It wasn't like the malls back home. It was more like a bunch of vendors set up in a big, open area. The crowds made her a little anxious, so she stayed close to Kyoya, clutching her elbows. He glanced down at her, almost amused. But he didn't say anything, just allowed Alex to stick close.

Suddenly the twins appeared out of nowhere, each of them holding a box of candies. "Want one?" the closest twin to her asked. She was fairly sure this one was Hikaru. It was getting easier and easier every day to tell them apart.

She accepted with a small but tight smile.

"Come, this way," Kyoya says. They follow him through the crowd, until he stops at the entrance of a store.

Alex looks up at the sign and then looks over at the dark haired boy. "Why are we here?" she asks.

"Don't you remember?" Hikaru asks.

"It was part of the agreement," Kaoru adds.

"Indeed," Kyoya says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose so that the light reflected against the lenses, making it impossible to see his eyes. "Oh, and it looks like the others have beaten us to it."

Sure enough, the other members were already inside the pet shop, looking at all of the different animals.

"I hope you appreciate what I had to do to get my father to agree to this," Kyoya says as they make their way inside. Predictably, Honey and Mori were over by the bunnies. Mori had a rabbit in each hand, even one on his head. He looked mildly irritated, but Honey senpai didn't seem to notice. He was too busy gawking at all of the rabbits in the little pin.

Tamaki was in a play pin with a litter of puppies, laughing as they all climb on top of him and started licking him. Haurhi was examining the hamsters and guanine pigs.

"Hey, look Hikaru," Kaoru says, pointing. "Look at all of those lizards!" and then they were off, looking like children in a candy store.

"This way," Kyoya says, as if he hadn't noticed that the twins were now gone.

Kyoya led her to where the kitten were. They were separated from each other as well as the onlookers by glass, but behind them was a cage door. Alex looked at all of them, most of them small kittens who looked to be only about six months old.

"You may choose any of them to adopt," Kyoya says from behind her. "Then we shall get the supplies."

Alex stared at the cats, then at him. Honestly, when she'd made the demand for the kitten, she hadn't really expected the club to follow through with it. it had been a spur of the moment thing, _why not?_ she had thought.

"Can I help you?" a voice said beside her, making her jump. It was a saleswoman, smiling politely at them.

"Yes, we'd like to adopt one of these kittens," Kyoya says before Alex could speak.

"Wonderful! These adorable kittens are in need of a good home. Please, follow me." she leads them through a door, turning into another room where all of the kittens were, where the cage doors lead to. Through them she could see the shop beyond.

This was obviously where they housed and cared for all the animals. There were even more cages in the back, though most of them were empty for the moment. There were shelves of all different kinds of food and a door that simply read Supplies. There also seemed to be a medical center, where again there were more cages but also shelves of bottles and a playpen on the floor.

"Did you have a particular kitten in mind?" the saleslady asks. Reading her nametag, Alex saw that her name was Emi.

"Not really," Alex admits, looking back at the kittens in their cages. "This was all kind of a surprise," she glances at Kyoya, who had drifted into the back ground.

"Oh, well, take your time," Emi says kindly. "They're all really wonderful and sweet."

Alex nodded and turned to look back at the kittens when a small meow caught her attention. She frowned and turned towards the playpen she'd noticed earlier. There was a small cardboard box inside of it. "What was that?" she asks.

Emi follows her gaze and her face softens slightly. "Oh, you wouldn't…" but Alex was already walking over there. "Miss, you're really not allowed—" Alex was already over the fence of the play pin and kneeling down beside the box. A blue blanket was inside it, as well as a tiny creature. As Alex stared, it stirred and gave another _mew_.

"Miss, really…" Emi starts but was cut off by a laugh.

"It's alright Emi. Let the girl look." it was a man's voice, sounding amused. Alex looks up to see what had to be a veterinarian. He had on a white lab coat over a white shirt covered in paw prints. He smiled kindly down at Alex, but she didn't return the smile. He didn't seem bothered by that, though. He joins her in the play pin, kneeling on the other side of the box. "The poor thing. The mother died after she gave birth to it, before she could give birth to the rest of the litter. We've been trying to keep it alive, and so far it's been a fighter."

Alex looks back down at the little kitten. Its fur was mostly white, though there seemed to be a hint of black on its tiny ears. Its eyes weren't even open.

Then, as Alex and the doctor watched, the kitten attempted to stand, seeming to move towards Alex. "mew, mew, mew," it kept going, sounding as if it desperately wanted to get some point across.

"My," Alex says softly. "You sure do like to sing, don't you?"

The doctor glanced up at her. "Actually, this is the most sound it's ever made."

Emi watched outside the play pin with wide eyes. Kyoya watched too, his gaze somehow blank yet curious at the same time.

The kitten started up again, reaching out a paw to Alex. Gently, she set her smallest finger under the paw and the kitten dropped it. It meowed and meowed, as if pleased by this. To Alex, though, it sounded as if the kitten were singing.

"Saitou," Emi says softly, sounding amazed.

"I know," the doctor—Saitou—says. "Young lady," he says, bringing Alex's attention back to him. "This kitten has been incredibly sick ever since it was born. Without a mother, we've had to bottle feed it, but it hardly ever drinks. This is the first time it has shown any physical signs of life."

Alex looked back down at the kitten, wondering how it could possibly have been seen as lifeless. It look quite the opposite to her. "What is your name?" Saitou asks, snapping Alex out of her thoughts.

"Um…Alex," Alex responds, having to take a moment to find her voice.

"You know, Alex, if this young kitten recovers, it's going to need a good home."

Slowly, Alex smiles. It's small, but it's true. "I'd love to have it." she looks back down at the kitten, which had curled up beside her finger.

"Arekusandoria," Kyoya says, speaking for the first time. "The doctor said if the kitten survives. I don't think it would be wise to take that risk."

Alex rolls her eyes. "Well I do," she counters. "Besides," she adds. "I have the feeling this little one is a fighter."

"You know what?" Saitou says. "I think you're right."

 **There you have it!**

 **As always please review and share your thoughts.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello people of Earth!**

 **Wow, it's been a while hasn't it? haha, sorry. I was just in the biggest slump ever, and everything I wrote was crap and I refuse to write when I have no inspiration.**

 **Anyway, enough of my babbling. Enjoy this short-ish chapter!**

Alex stood staring at herself in the full length mirror, not quite able to comprehend the person who was staring back at her. She'd gone to parties before, sure. Dances where you had to dress up and spend an outrageous amount of money on the perfect outfit, down to the nails. But this was…different. Those dances had always involved a lot of pop music, and half the time most of the girls were walking around barefoot an hour into the event, having ditched their heels when they got too uncomfortable.

This was formal, where there would be waltzes and polite conversation shared between people. It reminded her of the balls her mother had always told her about when she was little. Where princes and princesses gathered to dance and have fun and sometimes even fell in love.

 _Yeah well_ , Alex thought. _There won't be any princes or princesses here, and I doubt there'll be any falling in love_.

"Wow Alex," Haruhi says, startling Alex out of her reverie. "You look amazing."

Alex turned to look at the other girl. She was in a suit, of course. She had on a black button down dress shirt with a red vest over it and black dress pants and shoes. She was trying to tie a bow tie, but seemed to having trouble with it. Rolling her eyes, Alex marched over to her to help.

"Where'd you get that?" Haruhi asks, dropping her hands to her sides as Alex worked.

"Ally," Alex replies. "She likes to dress me up even if she's not here to see it in person."

"But can't she just…"

"Wear the same thing and get the same result? Yes, if you don't count the eyes. She hates that I don't like dressing up as much as she does, though."

It had been weeks since her first Host Club meeting, and things had gotten better. She was able to relax now into her job and tune out all of the whispers and the stares. She even found that she enjoyed watching the guys work and observing their different methods.

The kitten she had met, whom they had discovered was a girl, was strong and healthy and probably napping comfortably on Alex's bed at the moment. It had been a long few weeks. She'd gone to the pet store every other day to visit the little kitten, and she'd fallen in love with it more and more each time she'd gone. Finally the doctor had said that she was well enough to go home with Alex, then asked her what the kitten's name was going to be.

"Kashi," Alex had said immediately.

Kyoya, who had surprisingly come with her on each visit and watched her silently from the shadows, had smiled. "Lyric," he translated. "Fitting."

Kashi seemed to think so. She had mewed happily and butted her head against Alex's hand when she heard her name.

"There," Alex says now, stepping back to admire her work.

"Thanks," Haruhi says, examining herself in the mirror with a sigh. "I hope this doesn't drag on forever."

Alex bit back a smile. It was becoming increasingly easier to smile nowadays, though it was still rare that she ever fully smiled. Or laughed. Old habits die hard. "I'm sure it will be increasingly torturous and go on for eternity and you will secretly love every second of it."

Haruhi smiled at her slightly in the mirror. The two girls had become closer as the weeks went on. It was a relief for both of them to get away from the guys and guest and just be themselves. Alex had gone on several trips with Haruhi to the supermarket, which they would spend the afternoon afterwards lounging around her apartment watching movies Alex would bring over or studying. It was nice to get out of the big and lonely Ootori house in go somewhere that felt right to Alex.

"Don't give away my secrets," Haurhi warned with a smirk.

Alex gave her one of her small smiles that was getting bigger every day. It felt nice to have a friend.

* * *

"Knock, knock," Hikaru and Kaoru say.

"Everyone decent?" Hikaru asks.

"Yeah, come in," Alex's voice comes.

The twins enter, seeing first Haruhi in the outfit they'd picked out for her. She was decidedly cute in it, they both thought, pleased with themselves. It covered her well and was stylish.

Then they saw Alex and stared.

"Uh," Hikaru says.

"N-Nice dress Alex," Koru stutters, distantly aware that he was blushing.

Alex looks down at it and she smiles that smile of hers that lit up her eyes. "Thanks," she says bashfully. "Ally's work."

"She _made_ that?" the twins ask in joint astonishment.

When they envisioned what Alex was going to wear for the ball, they had figured it would be her signature blue. They pictured her in something like what she wore for the festival but slightly more dressy.

Well, she was in blue. However it was…different.

"What's the hold up in there?" Tamaki asks. He tries to move past the twins, but they're rooted in place. "Move it you two," he says, annoyed.

After a moment, the twins come to their sense and they move out of the way. That's when Tamaki sees the girls and he too stops to stare.

"Wow you two look great!" Honey says, running into the room from behind Tamaki's legs. Mori senpai was right behind him, pushing past Tamaki without an apology.

"What's with the ogling here? We have a ball to put on," Kyoya asks, still buttoning the cuffs of his jacket. He too moves past Tamaki and took in the sight before him.

"You're…" Tamaki says slowly. "You're wearing the sky."

It was true. The top of Alex's dress was as light as blue could get until it was white, then as the color traveled down the dress, the blue darkened. It darkened until it was near black, right at the hem of the dress. It was around her waist where the sparkles started. They were few at first, just scattered here and there, but then they grew until the entire bottom of the dress was covered with glittering gems. The gown just barely brushed the floor, the fabric looked smooth and it hugged her body in all of the right places. Her shoulders were left bare, but when the collar came up to her chest, it branched out and ran down her arms.

"It's the transition from day into night," Hikaru says, his eyes still bugging out of his head.

"Look, even the sparkles at the bottom have constellations in them," Kaoru points out to his brother.

The twins, Honey ad Tamaki gather around Alex to gawk at the gems. Not all of them are sliver, either. Some are very subtle shades of blue and red and orange.

Haruhi took a step away from the group to examine the bow Alex had tied around her neck. She glanced at Alex in the mirror who was looking as if she was already regretting her choice to wear the dress. The boys fluttered around her, making her look extremely uncomfortable. The only two who kept their distance was Kyoya and Mori, though that was to be expected of them.

Well it was, in a way, Alex's fault. She really did look great in the dress.

Haurhi was about to turn around and wave the boys away when there was a knock on the door. The guys turn to stare at it, but Kyoya was already making his way to it. He opens it to reveal the Ootori maid. Sarrii, Haruhi remembers. She pokes her head in, smiling. "Oh you all look amazing!" she exclaims.

Haurhi can't help but smile. She'd always liked Sarrii. The maid never seemed to take anything for granted. She was always so happy about something.

"Sarrii?" Alex asks, some surprise in her voice. "I thought you went back to the house."

 _The house_ , Haurhi noticed. Not _home_.

"Oh I did," Sarrii says. "But this was there and I thought you might like it before the party." She holds out a small gift wrapped box and an envelope.

Frowning, Alex shoves her way past the boy. She walks expertly in her silver high-heeled shoes, which barely poke out from underneath her dress. She takes the box and envelope from Sarrii, who has joined in staring at Alex.

"Wow, miss, you look beautiful!" she exclaims.

Alex gives her a tiny smile. "Thank you Sarrii," she says politely before turning her attention back to the two items in her hand.

"Another gift from Ally?" Kyoya asks, sounding as if he could care less, even as he leaned over to see what it was.

Alex looks at the address on the envelope and her eyes widen. "No," she mutters, almost to herself. Then she rips open the envelope and pulls out the card inside.

"Well?" the twins ask. "What does it say?"

Alex glanced up at them, as if she had forgotten that they were there. "It's…it's just something from a friend back home."

"Home?" Tamaki asks. "You mean…"

"My hometown," Alex clarifies. "Where I lived before the accident."

The club exchange glances. Alex hardly ever talked about her hometown, and none of them ever brought it up. She didn't seem too inclined to talk about America too much in general anyway. She would tell Haurhi things, though. What it was like in certain places, how people act. Since Haruhi was the only person who hadn't gotten to travel there thanks to a rich family, she had soaked in every word.

Now there was a faraway look in Alex's eyes. A kind of yearning for the home she had as a child.

"Well, tell us what it says," Hikaru demands.

Rolling her eyes, Alex looks back down at the card, knowing she didn't have much of a choice. She clears her throat and begins to read.

"'To my sweet little Lexie,

'Ally told me about the ball at your new school, and I just knew what would be perfect for it. I noticed it in your mother's box,'" at this, Alex's voice cracks a little. She takes a deep breath for a moment before continuing. "'I remember we were talking about it one day, your mother and I. she had mentioned it being a part of a matching set, and that she planned to give one to you and the other to your sister on your sixteenth birthday. Well since she can't be here to give it to you I will. I hope this gets to you in time for you to wear it to your ball and that you take good care of it. You know how dear it was to Rylie.

Happy birthday and Merry Christmas my darling. I hope you'" her voice breaks again, just slightly. "I hope you're happy where you are and that you have good friends looking out for you. I miss you dearly. I will have a fresh baked apple pie waiting when you next visit.

Love, Nancy.'"

Everyone is silent as Alex walks over to a nearby table and sets the car down. Then, very slowly, she unwraps the box, revealing a velvet jewelry box underneath. When she opens it, everyone looks over her shoulder to see what's inside.

It's a flower, a lily to be exact. Its petals are silver, but at the center of the flower on each bud is a glittering blue jewel. Alex lets out a shaky breath, and that's when they realize she's crying. She touches the flower gingerly, as if she were afraid that it was going to break.

"I know what she was talking about now," Alex says softly. "This was Mom's favorite necklace. I can't remember ever seeing her without it. It had a matching set of hair pins."

Suddenly, Kyoya was there, reaching around her to take the necklace from its box. "Then it shouldn't go to waste," he says, with as gentle a voice as any of them had heard him use. He fastens the necklace around Alex's bare neck. The pendent settles against the hollow of her throat. Somehow, it fit with her dress perfectly. Now it seemed as if it could be the night sky reflected in a pond, or that the flower was simply another star.

It completed the outfit perfectly. Even someone like Haruhi, who knew absolutely nothing about clothes, could see that.

Alex turned to look at herself in the mirror. The club members all had the same thought, they wish they knew what she was thinking. She had that look in her eye that told them she was thinking about something beyond them, something that they wouldn't ask her about.

Finally, Kyoya puts a hand on her shoulder. "Arekusandoria," he says, "it's almost time for the ball to start."

Alex closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She swipes at her eyes, being careful not to ruin her makeup. Then she turns to the table and scoops up her camera. She turns to face the group watching her and she gives them the biggest smile they'd ever seen on her. For once, they could actually say that she looked happy. "Let's get this party started, shall we?"

 **There you have it!**

 **This was literally the longest time I've spent thinking about a chapter. Believe it or not, I was trying to figure out what I wanted Alex's dress to look like. I didn't want it to be blue but then I spend two hours riding home from visiting my brother and I was just staring out the window and I noticed the sky and…well inspiration hit. And why not go on with the blue pattern?**

 **Anyway, thanks to all of you who are still reading! You mean a lot! I promise that the next chapter will be the ball, so it'll probably be a bit longer than usual. And there may be a thing or two happening during this chapter. I dunno. Possibly.**

 **Also updates will probably be spread out now because I'm now doing rehearsals for musical as well as school and some other things. Believe me though, I'll find time to write for you guys.**

 **Thanks for reading and as always review for a smile :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone!**

 **First I'd like to give a shoutout to** **wealhtheow1 for giving me quite a bit of information on Chanukah! Literally everything anyone says about that holiday in this chapter came from in information you gave me. Thank you so much for that, by the way! It helped out a lot.**

The night started out like a dream.

The main room was set up with two giant Christmas trees, decorated and lit up like a beacon. In between them sits an orchestra. The entire room is decorated with mistletoes and tinsel and wreathes. The surrounding rooms are decorated with all different kinds of things from all over the world in order to represent some of the different holidays celebrated during the month. Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Yule, Chanukah and so many others. As Alex made her rounds to all of the rooms, she overheard Kyoya and a group of girls talking.

"Wow, Kyoya, you guys really went all out with these holidays!" one girl in a lavender colored dress says.

"Yes, well, the Host Club prides it's self on authenticity," Kyoya responds with a polite smile.

"This seems like an odd choice for snacks," another girl observes.

"Well, to be true to the holiday, we refrained from having pork available and we were very careful to adhere to any other practices of the Jewish so as not to be offensive."

The girls melt. "How thoughtful of you," they sigh.

Alex rolls her eyes and snaps a picture before moving on to find the next host. She was double picture duty, trying to get pictures for both the Host Club and the photography club. She'd already been around to all of the rooms twice and stopped to take pictures for people over a dozen times. Still, she had to admit that she was having a good time. The Christmas carols being played by the orchestra is calming, as well as the music that drifts from the different rooms. She had no idea how they did it, but the music rarely got in the way of each other, so if you left the main ballroom to go into a slightly smaller room, it's like being transported into another world. The sounds and music of the main room fade away to the music being played in the current room.

The Host Club seemed to be everywhere at once. First she would see the twins talking and laughing with a group of people by one of the Christmas trees and the next they were harassing Tamaki in the Kwanzaa room. She caught sight of Honey by the main snack table several times, sneaking Christmas cakes before Mori showed up and pulled him away. Haruhi seemed to be keeping to the sidelines, though Alex caught her dancing with a few girls occasionally, although rather badly.

It was a wonder to experience. The dancing, the food, the music. It defiantly wasn't anything like the parties her parents had thrown when she was small, but that was probably for the best. The last thing she needed was for this night to get ruined by her breaking down into tears.

She got many compliments on her dress, though for the most part, she felt as if the compliments were…superficial. Like the girls were just being polite, but underneath they were biting back their real opinions. She was able to shrug it off, though she could still feel the stares that followed her throughout the room as she walked around.

Eventually, she felt as if she were about to suffocate. All of the rooms felt as if they were too crowded, too hot. So she slipped out onto one of the empty balconies that surrounded the main room. The shock of cold air felt nice, and she tilted her head up to make sure it reached all of her heated skin. At some point, it had started snowing, the white drops falling silently around the school. It already looked like it was starting to stick. Snowflakes landed on her bare shoulders, making her shiver slightly.

"Hiding out here are you?"

Alex jumps ad turns to see Ms. Hayashi standing in the doorway of the balcony. She was here overseeing the photography club, as well as a few other teachers acting as chaperones, though Alex suspected they were off somewhere with some wine, as she hadn't seen any other adults aside from Ms. Hayashi all night.

"Hardly. Just getting some fresh air," Alex responds, turning back around and holding her hand out to catch snowflakes. Ms. Hayashi joins her, smiling out at the snow.

"It's a beautiful night," she says.

"Yeah," Alex agrees a little distractedly. "Perfect for a ball."

Ms. Hayashi turns to look at Alex, her smile fading slightly. "Alex what have you done tonight?"

Startled by the question, Alex turns to face the teacher. "Taken pictures," she answers, holding up her camera. "Same as the other photography club members."

Ms. Hayashi laughs. "Spare me. They've all abandoned their cameras by now."

She was right, of course. Alex had seen plenty of the other members dancing or playing dreidel (with real gold coins no less).

Alex looks away guiltily. "I also have the Host Club to worry about, you know. Those boys are everywhere."

Ms. Hayashi puts a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I'm sure they want you to have fun too. Why don't you go dance? I've notice quite a few boys looking like they wanted to ask you. Not that I can't blame them in that dress!"

Alex musters a little giggle. Truthfully, the thought of dancing with any of those boys made her nervous. She hadn't danced in years. "Oh I don't know Ms. Hayashi…"

"Nonsense," Ms. Hayashi says, holding out her hand. "Surrender your camera. I'll give it to one of your boys for safe keeping."

Alex felt her face flush. Ms. Hayashi had taken to the habit of calling the Host Club Alex's 'boys' as if they were the ones working for her rather than the other way around.

She put a protective hand over her camera, but at Ms. Hayashi's stern look she sighed and slipped the camera over her head. There was no arguing with Ms. Hayashi when she had made up her mind.

"Good work Ms. Hayashi!" two voices chorus from the doorway.

Alex turns and is unsurprised to see the twins leaning against the doorframe, smirking at her.

"My pleasure boys," Ms. Hayashi says, giving the camera to Hikaru. She looks over her shoulder and winks at Alex before disappearing back inside.

"I should have known you two would be behind this," Alex says with a sigh.

They just grinned at her. "Come on, now it's time to have some fun," Kaoru says, holding his hand out to her. When she hesitated to take it, he frowns. "What? You did say you could dance. Were you lying?"

The accusation was insulting enough that she drew herself up and took his hand. "Of course I can dance," she says.

Kaoru grins and pulls her inside and towards the dance floor. "Well, we'll see about that."

* * *

It only took a few minutes of dancing with Kaoru for all of her lessons to come flooding back to her. Her body went on autopilot and she allowed herself to get lost in the music.

She could tell that Kaoru was honestly surprised. He really hadn't expected her to be such a good dancer, but she didn't care. It felt good to dance again. It had really been too long. She danced with Kaoru and then she danced with Hikaru. Then, seeing that she was no longer taking pictures, Tamaki appeared and she danced with him. She danced with Mori and Honey, which was a new experience for her, and even Haruhi, even though Alex had to mutter the steps under her breath to keep the other girl from stumbling too much. She danced with all of the boys who asked her too, not even caring if she didn't know their names or would remember them the next day.

She remembered something her mother had said once, how dancing was a drug. Once you started, it was hard to stop. Alex had never really thought too much about that, since she'd always been able to stop dancing if she wanted to but now she understood. She hadn't danced in so long, so now it felt as if she were trying to make up for all of the years she spent not dancing. She didn't care that her feet would probably have blisters on them in the morning, or that her legs would be sore from the constant movement.

When Alex finally decided to take a break, she drifted over to the refreshment table for a drink, realizing just how parched she was. While she stood there, sipping her drink, Kyoya appeared at her side.

"You've made quite a show," he says, sounding amused.

"Have I?" Alex asks, pretending to be oblivious.

"No one thought you could dance that well."

"Maybe you shouldn't have underestimated me."

Kyoya smirks and adjusts his glasses, hiding his eyes behind their glare. "Perhaps I shouldn't have."

The next song started playing. It only took a few notes for Alex to recognize it. " _The Christmas Waltz_ ," she says with a small smile. "My favorite."

"Is it?" Kyoya says. Before she can respond, he's standing in front of her, holding his hand out to her. "Then may I have this dance?"

Alex stared at him a moment, but before she even realized what she was doing, she was taking his hand and allowing him to draw her on to the dance floor.

"So what do you think of the ball?" Kyoya asks, spinning her expertly around other dancing couples.

"It's like I'm in a dream," she answers honestly.

"Even when you were chasing around all of us?"

Her lips lifts slightly in the corners. "Okay, maybe a little less then."

Kyoya chuckles as the moved in time with the music. Alex noticed people watching them from the corner of her eye, other couples, bystanders as well as the rest of the Host Club. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious. "Everyone's staring at us," she whispers.

"No, they're staring at _you_ ," Kyoya corrects. "Haven't you noticed?"

The answer to that was no. she'd been too focused on the dancing, too relieved to be moving again. But here, with Kyoya, she felt hyperaware of everything around her. His hand in hers, his hand on her waist, all the eyes on her…

"Arekusandoria," Kyoya says, snapping her attention back to him. "Listen to the music."

It was just the right thing to say. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the notes drifted back into her ears and she relaxed. She hadn't eve realized she'd tensed up. Just like with any of the other dances, she let her feet move with the music as well as with Kyoya, who was a surprisingly good dancer himself. She didn't' forget about the stares or the whispering around her, but it was easier to push it all to the back of her mind.

"Where did you learn to dance anyway?" Kyoya asks once Alex had visibly calmed down.

Again, she felt herself smile. "My earliest memory is standing on my dad's toes as he waltzed me around the house, counting the steps as my mom played the piano."

"Then I suppose Adam and Ally can dance just as well as you."

"Not really," Alex says with a shrug. "I mean, they can hold their own on a dance floor, but they never really got into it like I did."

"Huh."

"What?"

"It makes me wonder what other talents you've been hiding from us." Before she could respond, he spun her around, making her dizzy for a moment. For the rest of the song, they just danced.

* * *

The night went on. Alex danced some more but she also took the time to enjoy all the other things going on. She played games with Haruhi and the twins, being surprisingly good at dreidel.

"I don't get it," Hikaru says. He was standing in front of the electric menorah, studying it with a frown. "Why don't we have one with real candles?"

"Because you moron," Kyoya says, coming up behind them. "It's disrespectful."

He glances over his shoulder at the other boy. "What do you mean?"

"It's disrespectful to have a fully lit menorah when it's not one of the nights of Chanukah," Alex says, "a real one, anyway. An electric one is less pretty, admittedly, but better for decoration."

"Since when did you become so informed?" Kaoru asks.

Alex rolls her eyes. "Who do you think helped with the research? Besides, an old friend of my mom's was Jewish. She'd invite us over during Chanukah to celebrate with her since she didn't have any family close by. She did enjoy telling us about Chanukah traditions."

"But you're not Jewish. Are you?" says Renge, who had been standing a few feet away listening to their conversation with a few other girls.

"No," Alex admits. "But that doesn't mean I can't help a friend celebrate. My parents never failed to invite her over for Christmas dinner, and she would always bring gifts even though she didn't celebrate Christmas. In return we'd buy her gifts for Chanukah. It's the respectful and kind thing to do."

She shrank away a little when she saw everyone staring at her. "I think I'm gonna go check out Yule," she mutters before practically running out of the room.

* * *

"Arekku-chan!" Honey exclaims, skipping over to Alex who was taking a break from most everyone by the refreshment table.

"Oh, hi Honey senpai," Alex greets. All that dancing was starting to catch up with her. Her energy was depleting quickly.

"Have you tried a Christmas cake yet?" he holds up a small cake decorated like a winter wonderland.

"No I haven't," she says, "and I'm not sure I'm up for any—"

"Try it!" Honey exclaims, thrusting the plate with the cake on it into her hands, along with a fork.

Sighing, she takes a bite. It was plain sponge cake, but there was something oddly satisfying about it. "Hm," she says thoughtfully. "That is good."

"See?" Honey says with a grin. "Now give it back!" he snatches it out of her hands and takes off with it.

Alex rolls her eyes. Sometimes Honey could be serious and thoughtful, other times he reminded her a lot of the little kids she'd helped take care of back in New York.

Suddenly a group of girls detached themselves from the larger group and made their way over to the refreshment table. For a moment, Alex thought that they were just going to get something to drink, but then one of them walked right up to her, the girl's face serious. Alex barely recognized her as one of the Host Club's recurring guests. "Alex right?" the girl asks, her hands on her hips.

"Yes?" Alex says.

"Will you come with us for a moment? We'd like to talk to you in privet." Her tone made it clear that this wasn't a request.

Reluctantly, Alex nodded and followed her, pretending to be oblivious, but even she knew that when a group of angry looking girls want to speak with you alone, it can't be good.

They led her to a quiet hallway, not too far from the main ballroom. There, they cornered her.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" the girl who had first approached her asked. She was in a yellow strapless gown, the color not matching the look on her face.

"Um…"

"What makes you think you have a shot with any of the Hosts?" another girl in a red dress asks.

Alex felt her stomach twist into knots. So that's what this was about. "Look, ladies, I don't know what you think but…"

"We think," a girl in a violet dress says, cutting her off. "That you should keep your interactions with the Host Club strictly professional. None of them would want a scrawny little orphan like you, so don't fool yourself."

"I'm not…they don't…"

"Save it," the girl in the yellow dress says. "The Host Club is ours and don't forget that. We don't care if you are living with Kyoya. With your reputation, you won't be for much longer."

Alex, completely taken aback, just stares at her.

"Oh, you think we wouldn't know," the red dress girl says. "Alexandria Nicole Wright. Born in Tennessee in some no name town, lived with your parents until they died tragically when you were twelve. Then you moved from foster home to foster home, but they could never keep you there. You always ran away or they got so tired of you that they got rid of you." she smirks at Alex's shocked expression. "Don't get too used to your _Annie_ lifestyle. It won't last." And with that, her and her friends walked off, leaving Alex standing there, staring after them, and not being able to help but think that they were right.

* * *

It took Alex a few moments to get herself together. Why did this always have to happen? Whenever she was having a good time, whenever she was having a good day, there was always something to remind her of her situation. She was an orphan. She didn't have to stay in any place if the guardian didn't want her. She was stuck with this life until she was eighteen, and then what would she do? She didn't know the first thing about getting a job or buying a house or anything like that. No one had ever taught her.

She stayed in the hallway for a while, kneeling on the floor, her head between her hands. She couldn't think about this right now. She couldn't think about the future because she didn't know what would happen. Maybe she'd be able to stay in Japan. Maybe she could find happiness here.

But a little voice in her head, a voice that never seemed to shut up, kept reminding her of why she was in Japan in the first place. Why she was separated from her brother and sister and why she couldn't just call them whenever she wanted to. No. she wouldn't be safe for a long time. She wouldn't be able to stay here much longer, because eventually, _He_ would find her. He always does.

Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she stands, brushing her dress off. Maybe she couldn't stay here for very long. Maybe she'd have to run again, and maybe some time soon. But for now, she was in a beautiful dress made by her sister, wearing her mother's favorite necklace and she was having a good time with her unexpected friends. She wouldn't let a bunch of jealous girls ruin that for her.

After stopping by a bathroom to check her makeup and hair, she marched back to the ball and grabbed the nearest host she could find—who happened to be Kaoru—and pulled him to the dance floor.

"Whoa, Alex," he says, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says. "Let's dance."

* * *

"Oh what a great party," Tamaki says, stretching his arms above his head, grinning at the crowd around them.

Kyoya pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I suppose."

"What do you mean you suppose? Look around! Everyone's having a great time, laughing smiling," Tamaki beams around. "And look at that, even Alex is having fun!"

Kyoya follows Tamaki's gaze and sees that indeed Alex was back on the dance floor, this time with Kaoru, looking like she was having fun with him. If Kyoya didn't know any better, he would have thought the two of them were flirting.

"It does look like that," Kyoya says.

Tamaki glances sideways at him. "What's gotten you in a sour mood?"

"I haven't the faintest idea of what you mean."

Tamaki opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment, Honey senpai and Mori senpai appeared out of the crowd, Hikaru tailing them, looking slightly irritated.

"Hey guys!" Honey exclaims. "Did you see Arekku-chan and Ko-chan dancing?"

"Hard to miss," Hikaru mutters.

Honey glances over his shoulder, as if he hadn't noticed Hiakru there before. "Oh, Hika-chan. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hikaru says, though it was obviously a lie. He was fuming.

"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous," Haruhi says, appearing behind the red head, who jumps at the sound of her voice.

"Haurhi!" he exclaims.

Haurhi glares at him. "For the record, I think it's great that Kaoru and Alex seem to be hitting it off. She seems to be finally settling in here."

"Who said anything about hitting off?" Hikaru asks angrily.

Haurhi rolls her eyes. "Honestly, you're dense."

Kyoya felt like it would be worth mentioning that she had been oblivious of the two boys, both of whom were staring at her right now, who had been flirting with her since they met her. He decided not to, though. It was too entertaining to watch.

"Who's dense?" Alex asks, appearing behind Haruhi with Kaoru by her side. None of them had noticed that the song had ended, a new one starting.

"Oh, you know," Haruhi says, "everyone."

Alex shrugs in agreement. She did seem to be getting more comfortable as the night went on. She was less guarded and seemed to be getting into the dances and games.

"Anyway what's everyone standing around for?" Alex says.

"Just marveling at how successful this party is," Tamaki says, even though they had long moved on from that topic.

"Well, I can't disagree," Alex says.

"Aw, look they're all together!"

Alex turns along with the other Hosts and saw the group of girls who had dragged her out into the hallway earlier walking towards them. Now they were all smiley and flirty, the mean, snobby girls Alex had seen earlier gone.

"Princesses," Tamaki says, immediately going into host mode. "How lovely to see you all. You look beautiful as always."

The girls swoon, making a big show out of fanning their faces and batting their eyelashes. "Oh, Tamkai, you're too kind," the girl in the yellow dress says.

"There is never such a thing!" Tamaki exclaims, making the girls giggle.

"We do hope that you princesses are enjoying the ball," Kyoya says eloquently.

"Oh yes," the violet dress girl says, breaking away from her group to walk up to him. She twirls in her dress. "Do you like it? I made sure to get your favorite color."

"How kind of you Naomi," Kyoya says with a practiced smile, though something told Alex that he was more uncomfortable than flattered. He did a good job at covering it, though.

"Oh, and Alex," the yellow dress girl says, "I meant to tell you how beautiful that dress is!"

"Thanks," Alex says with a small smile. She wasn't about to let on that there was anything between her and these girls.

"Wherever did you get it?" the red dress girl asks.

"It was a gift from a friend back home," Alex answers honestly.

"You must tell us where she got it from," Naomi says. "It's adorable."

"It's a one of a kind, actually."

"Oh, is that so?" the yellow dress girl says. "It's too bad it doesn't fit you. Such a waste, don't you think Rie."

"You're right Hotaru," the girl in the red dress, Rie, says. "A complete waste."

Alex bit her tongue to keep from saying anything she would later regret. The Host Club went still at the obvious insult.

"I think it looks great on Arekku-chan!" Honey exclaims, trying to do damage control.

"How sweet of you Honey!" Rie says.

"You're just so thin, Alex," Hotaru says. "When was the last time you had a proper meal?" she sounds genuinely concerned, but her tone suggest differently.

Before Alex could even think of a response to that, there was a hand on her shoulder. "My apologies but is there something you ladies wanted?" it was Kyoya, of course. He squeezed Alex's shoulder, telling her to be silent.

"Oh, we just wanted to have a nice conversation with our boys," Naomi says, squeezing herself in between Kyoya and Alex, nearly knocking Alex to the ground.

"Well," Alex says loudly, bringing everyone's attention to her, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go freshen up." she ignored the superior looks the girls gave her as she walked past them, though in the end she couldn't help herself. "Oh and Hotaru," she says, stopping and glancing over her shoulder at the girl. "You've got lipstick all over your teeth." She had the satisfaction of watching the horrified look pass over Hotaru's face as she quickly covers her mouth.

* * *

"What was that about Alex?" Tamaki says, storming into the changing room where Alex had hidden herself.

"What?" Alex asks, focusing on herself in the mirror.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't play dumb."

"Senpai you shouldn't get so worked up by this," Haruhi says. The entire club had followed him into the room.

"Alexandria," Kyoya says, his tone warning.

Alex sighs and turns around to look at them. "Those girls cornered me earlier and basically told me that I was a worthless orphan and that I'd better keep my relationship with you guys 'strictly professional' or whatever." She'd slipped into English, the only sign that she was distressed.

"What does that mean?" the twins ask.

Alex and Haruhi exchange a hopeless look. "Nothing. They were just feeling threatened," Alex says.

The boys stared at her blankly. "Threatened? By you?" Tamaki asks.

Alex sighs. "It's a girl thing," she says. "They see you boys as being, in a sense, theirs. All of your customers see you as something that belongs to them, in one way or another. Enter me, a stranger, a threat, and they feel the need to defend you from me. It probably doesn't help that one, I live with one of you and two I sit by one of you in class, therefore giving me a kind of constant access to two of you that they don't have."

When they all just stared at her helplessly, Alex looked to Haruhi for help.

"They're jealous," the other girl says.

"Of…Alex?" Hikaru asks.

"It's really to be expected. They see me as a threat," Alex says with a shrug.

"We are not someone's property, Alex," Kyoya says.

"No," Alex agrees. "It's like…" she turns to the twins. "Hikaru, imagine a new boy comes in, and you and Kaoru befriend him. Then all of a sudden he starts acting like he's Kaoru's brother and completely disregards you. Even though Karou doesn't treat you any differently, there's still this boy acting like he belongs when he really doesn't."

The twins exchange a glance. "I wouldn't like it," Hikaru admits.

"Right, because that's _your_ brother," Alex says. "Not anyone else's. It's the same way with the girls. To them, you're _theirs_. They don't want to share with a stranger who's acting like she belongs here."

She could see that the boys were starting to understand, and they didn't like it.

"Look," she says, "I don't care what they think of me." Slight lie. "I put up with stuff like this wherever I go, it's nothing new." Truth.

"But we want them to like you, Arekku-chan," Honey says from atop Mori's shoulders.

"Sorry Honey-senpai, but that's not how things work," Alex says with a sigh. "Look, can we just go back to the ball and pretend like this didn't happen? I'm alright with it, really." Lie. "I'm used to it." Truth.

What she didn't understand was that that was exactly what made the Host Club uncomfortable.

"Alex's right," Haruhi says, startling everyone. "Let's just get back before any one notices we're gone. We're supposed to be in charge of this ball." she herded the boys out of the room, and Alex, for the millionth time, felt grateful to have someone like Haruhi as a friend.

The rest of the night went on without incident. The girls steered clear of Alex, and she wondered distantly what had happened after she left. Nothing good, considering the looks she was getting. She ignored them, though, and just had fun with her friends.

She danced and ate and even laughed a little. No one mentioned the incident with the girls, and for that she was grateful.

The night truly felt like a dream.

 **There you have it! Thank you all for your patience, I really appreciate it!**

 **If there's any questions you have about the story or anything you'd like to see Alex and the Host Club do, let me know! I want to know what you guys want to read. It'll also help me map out chapters a little better and faster.**

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always review for a smile. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again!**

 **Sorry again for my long absence! Hope this chapter makes up for it.**

 **I just wanted to thank all of you who are reviewing. Your comments make me smile to the moon and back :)**

 **Also…HAPPY SPRING TO ALL THOSE WHO APPLY! (despite the fact that it was literally freezing outside this morning…)**

 **Enjoy!**

The ball seemed to have been the last fun event of the semester. The Monday they got back to school, the students were thrown into full-on midterm mode. They spent their class time reviewing over everything they'd learned and playing review games. All club activities had stopped and study groups replaced them. The weekends were spent with even more studying.

Alex didn't see much of the Host Club, aside from Kyoya and her classmates. They would meet up during lunch every now and then, but they weren't all together. Haruhi, out of all of them, had dedicated most of her time to studying. The twins explained to her why one day when they watched Haruhi hurry off to the library during lunch one afternoon.

"She's here on scholarship," Kaoru says.

"So she has to stay at the top of the class if she wants to keep it," Hikaru explains.

Alex just nods, looking after her friend thoughtfully.

She and Kyoya had devised a kind of studying game that they played in the car and around the house. They hadn't meant for it to be a game of any sorts, but it had just happened. One morning, Kyoya started asking her all these questions about history, and she had answered them perfectly. Later that day, when she'd poked her head in on Kyoya studying, she'd swiped his papers and started quizzing him as well, just because she'd thought it would probably help him as well.

But Kyoya wasn't to be bested, so he'd continued to quiz Alex every chance he got—asking her random questions at meals, in the car, passing in the hallway, even while she was working in her room. Alex then started snooping in his books and notes when he was in the shower and she memorized everything she could. When she started asking him questions, he'd smiled as if he had expected nothing less of her.

Then she'd noticed that he'd started keeping score in his notebook, seeing who could answer questions the quickest and most accurate. She didn't confront him about this, but she did wonder what he expected the end goal for this to be.

Their game helped out their friends as well. The twins and Haruhi would jump at the chance to answer a question along with Alex, and Tamaki would tell Kyoya not to answer so he could think about it. She could tell, though, that even when they weren't answering questions, her friends were listening intently to her answers, wondering if they had answered them correctly in their heads.

Honey and Mori just seemed to be entertained watching them.

It had gotten to a point, though, where everyone had noticed, even Mr. Ootori and Kyoya's older brothers.

"This…is actually a very good way of studying," Akito said on one of the rare nights where all of the Ootori's were home and ate together. "I wish I had thought of it."

"It will have all been a waste of time if neither one of them make perfect scores on their exams," Mr. Ootori says dryly after Alex had missed a question, thanks to Akito's interlude.

Alex hid her surprise at that statement. Perfect scores? Doubtful. Though she did feel like she knew the material very well, she knew she couldn't get a perfect score. Somehow, she knew that if she did Haruhi would probably lose her scholarship. Even the twins had admitted to purposely failing or missing questions to help keep her at the top of the class. Distantly, Alex wondered if Haruhi knew just what these boys did for her.

"I can assure you Father," Kyoya says coolly, seeming not to have noticed Alex's laps into silence. "I will not disappoint you."

"I should hope not," Mr. Ootori says. "Your scores will be posted this Friday, I understand, I expect good results."

The older Ootori boys decided to get in on the questions after that, both of them able to ask Kyoya and Alex proper questions about their exams.

After a few rounds of this, Mr. Ootori cut in again. "Alexandria, I understand that next Sunday is your birthday," he said it with no emotion, as if he was being forced to acknowledge this. "Natalie told me to remind you of your…appointment."

Alex pretended that her heart didn't skip a beat. She calmly continued to eat her food. "Yes Mr. Ootori," she replies. "I will not forget."

After dinner, Kyoya came to her room and joined her and Kashi on the couch. She barely acknowledged him, seeing as she was used at this point of him coming in and quizzing her or asking her about Host Club pictures. This time, though, he seemed to have something else on his mind.

"I thought your birthday had passed," he said, absentmindedly reaching out to start petting the cat, who was growing stronger and bigger every day.

Alex looked up in surprise from her notes. "No," she says, trying to think of where he'd gotten that idea.

"In that letter you got the night of the ball," Kyoya says, "she told you happy birthday."

 _Ah_ , Alex thought. _Aunt Nancy's letter_.

"It was an early present," Alex says as Kashi purred loudly, rubbing her head against Kyoya's hand happily. The two had formed quite a bond since the kitten had come to live with them. "Since she won't be able to talk to me on my actual birthday."

Kyoya nods, as if he had figured this out already. "It's a good thing. Tamaki was quite upset, as were the twins. Not to mention Honey senpai, who'd would take any occasion for a chance to eat cake."

Alex scoffs. "Honey senpai doesn't need an occasion for a cake." Though she was trying to think back to after the party. Had they been upset? She didn't know. The end of that night was slightly hazy, as she had been incredibly exhausted at the time. "Besides," she continues, "I don't want to make a fuss out of it. It's just another day for me."

"I'd be inclined to agree with you," Kyoya says, making Alex roll her eyes and look back at her notes. "If it weren't for the fact that Tamaki will be adamant of making a day out of it, especially since it is after exams."

Alex glances sideways at him. "Who says he has to know?"

Kyoya doesn't return her gaze, instead sits back with his arm crossed, eyes closed, and the beginnings of a smirk on his lips. "He has ways of finding things out you know."

Alex turns back to her notes so he can't see the suspicion in her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," Kyoya answers, getting up and heading towards the door, Kashi watching him regretfully. "Oh," he says, stopping to turn towards her. "And good luck with your exams tomorrow, Arekusandoria."

It was an innocent enough sentence, but there was something in his voice that sent chills down Alex's spine. When she looked over to where he'd been sitting, she saw a small piece of paper sitting on the cushion.

 _Kyoya: 50_

 _Alex: 50_

What was this? Alex thought back to what this could possibly be, her thoughts landing on the score sheet she'd seen in his notebook just the other day. Was this the score for their game? She hadn't though he'd really take it all that seriously.

Kashi, apparently missing being petted, butted her head against Alex's arm, purring and lookin at her with pleading green eyes.

If it was the score, though, that means that they were tied. From Kyoya's attitude just now, she got the feeling that their game was over since exams started tomorrow.

 _It will have all been a waste of time if neither one of them make perfect scores on their exams._

Gulping, Alex set the small piece of paper aside and picked up her notebook, settling Kashi back down beside her.

* * *

 _Class 1A ranking_

 _1)_ _Fujioka Haruhi_

 _2)_ _Wright Alexandria_

 _3)_ _Hitachiian Karou_

 _4)_ _Hitachiian Hikaru_

Alex, along with the rest of her classmates crowded around the list to see their ranking for the semester. She heard some exclamations of pleased surprise and also some exclamations of shock. Beside her, though, Haruhi breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Alex with a smile. "Congratulations on making second!"

Alex feels herself smiling back, if slightly. "Who cares about second? Congrats on making first!"

Haruhi smiles sheepishly, though she was obviously at least slightly proud of herself.

Meanwhile, the twins were arguing about Kaoru making higher than Hikaru.

"How did you do better than me? We studied the same things!" Hikaru exclaims.

"I guess I just studied harder than you did," Kaoru answers.

They go back and forth like that, Kaoru obviously a bit satisfied to have bested his brother. Alex can't help but roll her eyes at them, though suddenly there was a tightness in her chest. It was times like these when the twins reminded her a lot of Adam, Ally, and herself.

Mentally shaking herself out of her thoughts, she pulled Haruhi out of the crowd around the bulletin board. "Do they always argue like that?" she asks her friend, nodding to the twins.

Haruhi gives an exasperated sigh. "Every semester."

Shaking her head, Alex and Haruhi walk to the other side of the room where it was less crowded. "At least it's over, right?"

* * *

"Only second place?"

"Yes sir."

"How disappointing."

Alex's head cocks to the side, though she had to admit she wasn't all that surprised.

She was standing in Mr. Ootori's office, her hand clasped behind her back. She and Kyoya had just gotten back from school, and Alex had barely set foot in the door when Sarrii was on her, telling her that Mr. Ootori needed to see her right away in his office. She hadn't even had time to take off her shoes.

She should have known that Mr. Ootori wouldn't have been all that happy with her taking second in her class, though she was determined not to feel bad about it. If it was true that Haruhi needed to stay at the top of the class, then she would help in any way she could. Besides, some of those exams _were_ pretty hard.

"I'll admit," Mr. Ootori goes on, "I expected more from you. I understand why you wouldn't have had good grades prior to your stay here, what with the…less than pleasant living conditions. However after I have been taking care of you in the best ways possible, I had hoped you would focus more on your studies."

Alex wanted to point out that it had been his servants and Kyoya who had been taking care of her, not him, but she kept her mouth shut.

"I will expect you to spend your break studying," Mr. Ootori says. "No running around with that ridiculous club my son has dragged you into."

Alex bit her tongue to keep from responding, clutching her hands harder behind her. As much as she wanted Mr. Ootori to not regret taking her in, it was hard sometimes not to point out the pretentiousness of some of the things he says.

"Well that's a bit harsh, don't you think Yoshio?"

Mr. Ootori looked up in surprise at the voice in the doorway. Alex, curious, glanced over her shoulder and felt herself somehow relax and tense up at the same time.

The woman standing in the doorway, Sarrii behind her, wore simple grey trousers, white shirt and a grey blazer with boots that clicked against the floor. She smiled warmly at Alex as she came in. "Hello Alexandria," she says, wrapping Alex in a one armed hug. "It's been a while."

"Natalie," Alex says with a respectful nod.

"Ms. Jones," Mr. Ootori says, seeming to somehow stand straighter. "I was not expecting you until Sunday."

"Yes, well," Natalie says, "I got an early flight. I do love to travel."

"Is that so?" Mr. Ootori says, sounding uninterested.

"Yes and Japan is just a beautiful place in the winter time," Natalie says, oblivious. She turns to Alex, putting herself between the girl and Mr. Ootori. She puts both of her hands on Alex's shoulders and looks her up and down. "You look…great Alex," she says with a smile. "So much better."

Alex managed the smallest of smiles in return. "You're really turning into a beautiful young woman," Natalie goes on. "Seventeen soon. My have the years gone by."

"Ms. Jones," Mr. Ootori says. "Should we, perhaps, discuss why you have decided to pay us an early visit?"

Winking at Alex, Natalie turns around to look Mr. Ootori in the eye. "I came early because I wanted to," she says simply. "I have that ability, you know. I also wanted to look around for a few days and make sure Alex is being well cared for."

"I can assure you—"

"You can assure me all you want, Yoshio," Natalie cuts him off, which proves to further annoy him. "However I must see it with my own eyes. Alex's safety is not something to be taken lightly, I hope you know."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a doorbell. A moment later, they heard voices from the front of the house, quickly coming closer to him.

"Where's Arekku-chan?" Alex hears Honey ask.

"Alex is in the middle of speaking with my father," Kyoya answers.

"Let's go wait for her in your room, Kyoya," Tamaki says in his bright, bubbly voice. "I want to congratulate her myself on being second in her class!"

"Yeah, I heard her scores were almost as good as Haru-chan's!" Honey exclaims, followed by Mori's grunted agreement.

"It's true," Kaoru says, their voices getting further away.

"Everyone was talking about it," Hikaru says. "It took them all by surprise."

"Just because she's an orphan doesn't mean she's not smart," Haruhi says in her defense.

"But didn't Kyo-chan say that her grades weren't good at her old schools?" Honey asks.

"Maybe she wasn't able to focus on school," Haruhi says, sounding slightly annoyed. She sighs. "I wouldn't expect you guys to understand. Just…don't bring it up, okay? It's in the past."

Alex felt herself smile a little, grateful for the thousandth time that Haruhi was her friend. Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Is that the ridiculous club you spoke of before, Yoshio?"

Mr. Ootori was silent, looking at Alex as if he had realized something.

"Yoshio?" Natalie asked, her voice clipped.

Mr. Ootori turns his attention to her. "Perhaps I was wrong."

Alex was careful to keep her expression neutral, but on the inside she was grinning. Had the great Yoshio Ootori just admitted that he'd been wrong?

"Perhaps so," Natalie says with a smile. She looks at Alex. "Go spend time with your friends," she says. "Mr. Ootori and I have some things to discuss."

Alex glanced at Mr. Ootori, who nodded to her. She gave a small bow and left the room.

* * *

Alex nudge the door to Kyoya's room open, after having knocked and gotten not reply, though that wasn't much of a surprise considering the shouting that was happening on the other side. No one noticed her come in, as they were all engrossed in the argument.

Tamaki and the twins were shouting at each other, as usual, though it seemed to be over a board game they were playing. Haurhi was sitting back on her knees with a bored expression, Honey was studying the game with a comically serious expression while Kyoya and Mori looked on with bland interest. Kashi was curled up in Mori's lap, napping. Her kitten had taken a weird liking to the older boy. She would immediately run to him whenever he visited and make herself comfortable in his arms.

Alex studied them, these people who have become such a regular part of her life. So much so that they were proud of her over something as simple as test scores. They had accepted her into their group with open arms, even if Alex hadn't seen it as that at first.

Slowly, she smiled.

"Alex!" Haruhi says, being the first one to notice her loitering in the doorway.

The arguing stopped and everyone turned to look at her. "Hey!" Tamaki says, breaking out into a grin. "What are you doing standing in the doorway? Come join our game!"

Alex moves closer, seeing that the game in question was the Monopoly board game. She raised her eyebrows.

"We found this game at a commoner's store," Kaoru says, sweeping his hand over the game proudly. "Haruhi's teaching us how to play."

Haruhi, who Alex saw now was studying the rules in her lap, sighed. "I'm trying to figure it out and explain it," she muttered.

Smirking, Alex marches over to the coffee table and sits on her knees. As if sensing her presence, Kashi jerked awake and leaped out of Mori's lap and over to Alex. "Well lucky for y'all," she says, slipping into her English slang, not really feeling bothered to try and speak Japanese, "I played this game all the time as a kid."

They all stared at her for a moment, as if wondering where this change in mood had come from. "Well," Tamaki says, breaking out into a huge grin. "Let the game begin."

Alex scooped up some of the paper money. "Indeed."

 **There you have it! Hope you liked this little chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading and as always please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I AM THE WORST PERSON IN EXSISTANCE! Gosh, I am so sorry I left this for so long. My life got crazy after the last chapter and then I lost inspiration blah, blah, blah, excuses, excuses, excuses.**

 **To try and make up for my horrible deed, please take this chapter as my gift to you.**

"How long do you think they can stay like this?"

"I don't know. Has either one of them blinked?"

"I don't think they want to risk it."

"Do you think—"

"Hey!" Haruhi snapped, cutting the Hikaru off. "Shut up and let them concentrate."

The twins fell silent but focused their attention on the game in front of them. They'd been playing the game for the past two hours, and everyone was out except for Kyoya and Alex. Both of them had stubbornly refused to give up, and they had been head to head for at least an hour.

The group was so focused on the game, however, that they didn't notice the door open. Nor did they notice the two people who came in.

"Well, well, well," a voice says, effectively making most of them jump. Kyoya, however, remain as still as a stone, still studying the board. Alex, too, though she jumped slightly, refused to turn around. "I didn't know this was how teenagers still spent their time."

"It is odd," Mr. Ootori say with an expressionless tone.

"Father," Kyoya says without raising his eyes to meet his father.

"Mr. Ootori!" Tamaki exclaims, raising to his feet and ignoring the way the two members of the household all but ignored the man. "How delightful to see you."

"Tamaki," Yoshio says with a respectful nod. "Always nice to see you. Children, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Natalie Jones." He motions to the woman standing next to him. She had pretty brown skin and thick curly black hair that fell just past her ears. "She is Alexandria's social worker."

Everyone froze at that, even Kyoya, who finally looked up, but at Alex, who hadn't reacted at all at the news. She just continued to study the board, rolling the dice in her hands.

"Really?" Haruhi asks, standing to study the woman.

Natalie smiles. "It's very nice to meet all of you. Alex has spoken highly of her friends."

"Has she now?" Kyoya asks, still looking at Alex.

"I have to check in every month," Alex explains without raising her eyes or with much emotion. "Give or take."

"We have the most interesting conversations too," Natalie says, smiling at Alyssa's back like they were sharing an inside joke.

"They're pretty uneventful," Alex says blandly. "You just want to make sure I'm still alive."

"Well that is my job," Natalie retaliates.

"Ms. Jones," Mr. Ootori says as if no one had spoken, "will be staying here as our guest for the next few days."

Alex's hand, which had reached over the board to roll the dice, froze.

"Well," Kyoya says, adjusting his glasses and standing to smile at the woman. "I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to have you as a guest."

"My, Yoshio, what a polite young man you've raised," Natalie says with a giggle.

Alex rolls her eyes, though only the Host Club members could see it. She let go of the dice and moved her piece, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

"And I do hope that all of you will join us for dinner," Yoshio says, though the tone of his voice indicated that this was not his idea.

"Of course," Tamaki answers, speaking for the rest of the club. "We'd be delighted."

"Wonderful," Natalie says, clapping her hands together. "I'm so excited to get to know all of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go unpack."

"Very well," Mr. Ootori says, standing aside to let her pass. "I'll have my maid bring your things to your room."

When the door clicked behind them, everyone turned to look at Alex, who had not taken her eyes off the board. After a moment of a long silence, she said, "Well, Kyoya, are you going to go or are you just going to make me sit here all night?"

Slowly, Kyoya stat back down and took up the dice, never once letting his eyes stray from Alex's face. They were all watching her for any signs that she was okay with this turn of events or not. But she gave nothing away, just calmly waited for Kyoya to take his turn. So he did.

* * *

The meal that followed was about as awkward as it could be. No one knew what to say to the newcomer, at least nothing that would not have felt inappropriate with Mr. Ootori sitting just a few feet away at the head of the table. And the only person any of them had in common was sitting quietly at her spot at the table, eating and pretending not to notice Natalie watching her eat while trying to make it seem like she wasn't obviously watching her.

Finally, Tamaki couldn't stand it anymore. "Ms. Jones, I recall you mentioning that you knew Alex's mother. How did you two come to be friends?"

"Oh," Natalie says with a little laugh. "It's a rather boring story really. Patricia and I met when we were in high school. It was by chance, really. I was being forced by my mother to take drama, which I had no talent what so ever in. Patricia, however, was the best in the class. She saw me struggling and offered to help me at least pass the class. We bonded over hours of pretending to work. I told her about my family and she told me about hers. Neither one of us was in a very happy situation, mind you. She would go on and on about how she would run away to New York and become a famous Broadway star."

"Did she?" Haruhi asks out of curiosity.

"You bet. When Patricia set her mind to something, she never gave up, no matter what. She was stubborn like that. Something her children inherited," Natalie says with a pointed look towards Alex who only gives a sheepish shrug.

Suddenly Sarrii came rushing into the dining room and leaned over to whisper something in Mr. Ootori's ear. He nodded and stands. "Excuse me, I must take a call in my office."

"Of course," Natalie says with a smile. He leaves without another word, and the mood in the room seemed to lighten dramatically.

"What lead you to become a social worker?" Hikaru asks.

For a split moment, Natalie looked confused before she covered it up with a smile. "Well I went to college and found out what I wanted to do. It's not an exact science. But enough about me. Tell me something about yourselves! I'd love to hear about all of you."

So they spent some time discussing everything about everyone. Their families, their hobbies, their favorite parts about Japan. They told Host Club stories, which Natalie found hilariously interesting. There was one noticeably missing person in the conversation, though.

"Alex," Natalie says when there was a lull in the conversation. "How did you fall into this group of wonderful young men? And lady," she nods to Haruhi with a smile.

Alex glances over at Kyoya, who is notably avoiding her gaze. When no one else spoke up, it was clear that she was on her own. "They found out about my photography," Alex says. "And they asked me to be their photographer, and I said yes."

"Really?" Natalie sounded impressed. "Well, after we eat do you mind showing me some of these photos?"

"Do I have a choice?" Alex mutters under her breath, so low that only the people sitting closest to her, Kyoya and Haruhi, could hear. Louder she said, "Sure, no problem Nat."

* * *

"Your friends seem nice," Natalie says, following Alex into her room.

They had spent another twenty minutes at dinner with Natalie all but interrogating Alex's friends, trying to learn everything about them in the short amount of time she had with them. She'd done a rather good job, Alex had to admit. She supposed it was a part of her training. Afterwards, Alex and Kyoya had seen them out with a promise to see them again soon. So the next day if Alex knew anything about this group at this point.

Natalie had then insisted on seeing the photos at that moment. Kyoya, being ever so polite, excused himself to the sitting room so that they could have some privacy and also, Alex suspected, so that he didn't have to follow them in order to get to his room.

Once they were inside, Alex was sure to close the door so that Kyoya knew it was safe enough to go into his own room. Natalie was looking around, nodding approvingly. "Very nice. Spacious."

"It still feels too big sometimes," Alex admits, walking over to her desk to pull up the pictures she'd kept on there.

"I'm sure if you asked Yoshio…"

"No offense Nat," Alex cuts her off, "but I don't really want to ask Mr. Ootori for anything he doesn't have to give me. I'm perfectly capable of adjusting."

Natalie rolls her eyes. "I understand that, Alex, but still. You deserve to be comfortable."

It was a laughable statement. This was one of the few places Alex had ever been comfortable in, though she wasn't about to admit that to Natalie.

"So what brought up the sudden visit?" Alex asks, changing the subject. "What's wrong with the usual video chat? I'm actually in a place where we can do that, you know."

"I know," she says, "but I wasn't lying when I said I loved Japan. It's one of my favorite places to visit."

"I've gathered," Alex says, turning around in her chair to look at the woman. "But face to face visits never mean anything good. What's up?"

Natalie bites her lip. She sits down on the couch and motions for Alex to follow. Slowly, Alex does what she's told, suddenly very nervous about the news she was about to be told.

"We've noticed something recently, Alex," Natalie says in a low voice. "Something that they're not too happy about."

Alex sits up a little straighter, though not hiding the fact that she was confused. "What? I haven't done anything to draw any attention from the media. Not intentionally, anyway."

"Oh, we know that!" Natalie reassures her. "That you wouldn't draw any attention intentionally, but the thing is that we're worried you might have."

Alex shakes her head, still not understanding. "What? I've been careful, Nat, I swear."

"I know, but…" Natalie sighs. "They're not too happy with you, Alex. You're supposed to keep a low profile and then you go and befriend the kids with some of the most influential parents in school? That's sure to gain the media's attention."

"A rich guy taking in an orphan will get the media's attention," Alex counters. "Haven't you ever seen _Annie_?"

Natalie gives her a stern look. "This is not something to joke about, Alexandria. This is serious. You have to remember why you're here. It's not so you can have fun it's so you can be protected."

Alex's blood freezes. "What are you trying to tell me, Nat?"

She shakes her head. "I'm telling you that you need to be careful of who you trust. People like them can and will do anything to get their name out there, including using an orphan like yourself as a pity prize."

Alex's face darkens. "I'm not something that can be won, Natalie, and they're not like that."

"I'm not talking about the kids I'm talking about their parents. Those twins are the sons of a famous fashion designer. I bet she'll take any chance she can get to get a pretty girl like you to model for her, especially if it appeals to the media that you're an orphan. And that violet eyed boy's father would probably take an opportunity to show that his school can teach anyone, even you. You're a tool waiting to be used, Alex."

Alex stares at her as if she's grown a second head. "I can't believe what I'm hearing," she says, shaking her head. "Do you people do any kind of research on those big expensive computers of yours? The Chairman would never do that because of the friendship he has with Mr. Ootori. And Hikaru and Karou wouldn't force me to do anything like that, even if their mom insisted on it. Do you think I'm so stupid that I would let any of that happen anyway?"

Natalie raises her hands in a calm-down gesture. "Alex," she says, "I do not think that. However…"

"It doesn't matter what you think," Alex says with a sigh.

Natalie gets up and puts both of her hands on Alex's shoulders, looking the girl in the eye. "I'm telling you what I was told to tell you, Alexandria. They…we want you to stay out of the media spotlight. These boys will only push you into it."

Alex didn't look at her. She stared at something away from Natalie. Following her gaze, she can see that Alex was looking at a picture, a picture of her and her friends that Natalie assumed the girl had pulled out in order to show her. This seemed to have been taken at the ball that they held the other week. It was a nice picture, one of all of her friends grinning at the camera. Even Alex had managed a smile, though it wasn't the smile that made Natalie's heart break. It was the light in her eyes, a light that she hadn't seen since before the accident.

Sighing, Natalie squeezes Alex's shoulders. "I know this was a lot to put on you. I'll leave you to…think about it."

She left Alex standing in the middle of her room, staring at that picture. Natalie had never hated her job so much.

* * *

Natalie closes the door gently behind her, then leaned against it and sighed.

"Pardon me."

Natalie almost jumps out of her skin at the unfamiliar voice, but it was only the youngest Ootori boy. Kyoya, she believed his name was.

"Ah, Kyoya," she says with a smile. "I'm sorry if I was in your way."

"No worries," Kyoya responds with a polite smile. He started to move past her, but then paused. "Ms. Jones, if you don't mind my asking, what was the real reason you decided to pay Alex a visit? I could tell from her reaction that this is not a normal occurrence."

Observant. Though Natalie admired the trait, she noted it as well. Observant people are usual bad in her business. "What makes you think that I would have any reason for visiting other than to simply make sure Alexandria is being taken care of? You'd be surprised how often my surprise visits have proven this not to be the case."

Kyoya nods as if he understands this response. "However," he says, "in a household with more than enough money to support her, why would you think she was not being taken care of?"

Natalie felt herself smiling at this boy who had obviously never had to worry about himself a day in his life. Perhaps not even about another person.

"There are certain human needs that must be met, Kyoya, in order for someone to be considered taken care of," she says, starting down the hall and motioning him to follow her. He does so, if out of curiosity than anything else. "Alex may have clothes on her back, food in her stomach and a roof over her head, all of which are things she must have. But when those things are provided, what else is there? What about her mental needs? There are people out there, Kyoya, who take in children just to get the extra money. They don't even care about the kids. Alex has to feel safe in both with the place she sleeps as well as the people she is around."

Kyoya was nodding. It seemed as if he had started taking notes during her speech. "So what you're saying is that in order for Alex to be considered cared for, she not only has to have the necessities for her body but also for her mind."

Natalie thinks about it for a moment. "Yes, I suppose that's what I'm saying."

Kyoya writes something down and closes the book he'd been holding. "That is interesting information," he says genuinely.

Natalie looks sideways at him. "So is she? Taken care of, I mean?"

The boy looks slightly taken aback, but he held a neutral face. He took after his father well. "I would certainly like to think so. Our head maid, Sarrii, and Alex have formed quite a bond. Even some of the other servants have taken to her."

"And you?" Natalie asks out of pure curiosity.

This time he didn't even try to cover his surprise. "What do you mean, Ms. Jones?"

Natalie smirks. "I mean have you taken to her like the servants have? She seems quite comfortable with you, which I must admit is no small feat when it comes to Alex."

Kyoya takes a moment to answer. He walks with his hands in his pockets and a thoughtful look in his eyes. "When Alex first arrived here," he says, "my father told me I was responsible for her well-being. I do as my father asks and I take my job seriously."

"Uh-huh," Natalie says, filing that information away for later. "Well, young Kyoya, I believe I will turn in for the night. I'm quite jet lagged. Thank you for keeping me company."

Kyoya turns to face her and bows slightly. "Of course Ms. Jones. Good night."

"Good night," Natalie responds, and makes her way to her room, mulling over the information she's learned tonight.

* * *

When Kyoya walked into his room, he was surprised to find Alex sitting by his coffee table, her legs pulled up tightly to her chest, her arms wrapped just as tightly around her legs. Her chin was set on her knees and she was studying the forgotten game on the table without really seeing it. She looked deeply unhappy about something, and if he wasn't mistaken, her eyes were slightly red from crying.

She didn't move as he approached. Even when he cleared his throat, she didn't stir.

"I hope you're not sabotaging our game," he says finally.

She doesn't move or react to his voice, but she does respond. "That would be unwise with you as an opponent."

Kyoya comes around and sits on the edge of the couch. Alex had changed out of her uniform and into a light pink sweater and black pajama pants. The sweater was slightly too big for her, the sleeves falling past her arms. She had the fabric fisted in her hands, like she needed something to hold on to.

"You've been crying," Kyoya says after a moment of silence in which she doesn't take her eyes from the game.

"So? I cry all the time," she says, her voice slightly deadpanned.

"No you don't," Kyoya says. "Only when something has deeply upset you."

"That's a lie."

"It's not," Kyoya says simply. "I cannot remember you crying at all for the past few weeks. You've seemed happier. You've even been sleeping through most nights."

She sniffs and rubs at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. "A dream," she murmurs. "That's all this is. A beautiful, blissful dream. I can't ever escape the nightmares. I can't ever be happy."

Kyoya sits in silence. It was better to let her ramble then to ask questions he knew he would not get the answers to.

"Sometimes I feel like my life is just like this game," she says, reaching one hand up to finger her steel piece. "I just go around and around while they plan out my life. I never have my own choices." She hugs her legs tighter. "Can I ask you something, Kyoya?"

"Of course," Kyoya responds without hesitation.

"Would…" she hesitates. "Would they ever use me? Everyone else in the Host Club? Like…their families, if they knew about me."

Kyoya, taken aback by the question, has to take a long moment to form an answer. "I don't think that we would allow it," he says slowly, "if you truly do not wish to partake in whatever activity you're talking about. Especially if there is not good reason for it.

She takes this silently, her expression turning slightly thoughtful. "What about Haruhi?"

Kyoya almost laughs at this, but he holds himself back. "Haruhi has never been forced into something she did not want or did not enjoy in the end. And there have been plenty of times that Tamaki and the twins could not persuade her to join us."

Alex just nods and continues to stare at the game board.

Not being able to help himself, Kyoya asks, "What brought these questions, Arekusandoria?"

At first, he doesn't think that she's going to answer, because she was silent for so long. Then she sighs. "Natalie's worried about that. About everyone taking advantage of the poor little orphan girl.

She takes a deep breath, and close her eyes. They sit in silence for a long, long moment. Then she opens her eyes and looks up at him. "Can I stay in here tonight, Kyoya? I don't want to be alone."

The request surprises him, but he's careful to keep a neutral face. He thinks for a moment of his father and brothers, who are bound to be home by the morning, and of the social worker staying just a few rooms away.

Then he looked at Alex and the clear unhappiness she wasn't trying to hide. Whatever she and Natalie had talked about hadn't been good.

So he finds himself nodding before he can stop himself. "Stay in here as long as you need to, Arekusandoria."

She nods and goes back to staring at the game board, looking slightly less unhappy than she had before.

Kyoya got up and went to the other side of the couch to give her room to think and brought out his homework for the holiday.

There the two of them sat for hours into the night. Neither of them moved from their spots and neither of them spoke. When Alex finally fell asleep, Kyoya stood, picked her up and took her to her room where he made sure that she had her phone right next to her as well as her dream journal. He had a feeling she would be needing it tonight.

 **Yay! Chapter done!**

 **I know not a lot happened in this one, but I felt the need to explore Natalie a little more. What do y'all think of her? Any guesses? Thoughts?**

 **Again, I'm really sorry for leaving this for so long. Let me know if anyone is actually still reading this and I'll try to be a less horrible human being and update more. To anyone who is still reading this, thank you! You're the best!**

 **Thanks for reading and as always please review! (it'll make my day and keep me writing more)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everyone! New chapter for you today, so I hope you enjoy!**

"Rise and shine, miss," Sarrii's voice comes, breaking into Alex's blissful sleep.

She groaned as the maid flipped on the lights in her room, burying her head in her pillow. She felt like absolute crap. She'd had dreams all night, and when she woke up from them she would write them down in her journal. As a result she got little to no rest, and she had been hoping she'd be able to sleep the day away. At least rest a bit more.

"Come, miss," Sarrii says. "You've got a long day ahead of you."

"Do I?" Alex asks, propping herself up on her elbow. She squinted at the clock and wanted to scream. Five a.m. on a Saturday? What kind of wake-up call was this?

"Indeed you do," a voice says, not too far from her bed.

 _Right_ , Alex thinks. _Natalie's here_.

The woman was standing just at the foot of her bed, showered and dressed and ready for the day. She had her hands clasped behind her back, and she was looking at Alex expectantly.

"You know," Alex says with a yawn, "just because you're jet lagged doesn't mean I have to suffer from it."

"Yes it does," Natalie says with a smile. She sits down on the bed as Alex sits up and Kashi—who had been hiding most of last night but apparently decided to make an appearance now—crawls out from under the blankets and into Alex's lap. "Anyway, I have the whole day planned out for us, so get up and get ready," Natalie goes on, completely ignoring the cat.

"What are we doing?" Alex asks cautiously.

Natalie grins at her. "Sight-seeing."

* * *

'Sight-seeing' according to Natalie is actually a day spent shopping in the biggest city in the country.

It was weird being out without the Host Club. As Alex and Natalie walked around Tokyo together, she found herself constantly glancing over her shoulder to say something to Haruhi, or expecting one of the boys to come running up to her with some mundane item they found. Mostly, though she felt…vulnerable, almost, without the club around her. More than once she found herself moving closer to her right, where Kyoya normally walked, only to find empty space. It really wasn't until then that she realized how _safe_ the Host Club made her feel.

Of course they weren't unprotected. More than once Alex saw some of the Ootori officers following them, wearing normal clothes so they blend in with the crowd, though Alex was sure that each of them was armed. She was starting to remember faces of the officers who were always around her and Kyoya, and she wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not.

Still, though, Alex found herself getting itchy and restless the longer they were out. If Natalie noticed, though she didn't say anything. She just kept dragging Alex from shop to shop, going on and on about everything she knew about the country.

They went from toy shop to clothes shop to even a furniture store. They spent an odd amount of time in that one, much to Alex's disdain. She wasn't much of a shopper, not unless it was with people who were actually enjoyable to be around. At least if she was with the Host Club, she'd have their antics to entertain herself and Haruhi to complain with.

When the day turned from afternoon into evening, Natalie led her back to the car. Alex felt herself relax, glad to finally be able to go and lock herself in her room. But it soon became clear that they weren't headed back to the Ootori house. "Where are we going?" Alex asks when the car turns onto what seems to be yet another busy road that seemed to be _away_ from the Ootori house.

"We're going on a little trip," Natalie says, grinning at her. "Oh, don't worry," she says at Alex's look. "We're coming back. Think of it as a birthday gift from me to you."

 _That's questionable_ , Alex thinks, but she sighs and sits back in her seat. There really was no arguing with Nat. It was something that she and Ally distinctly had in common, which was why they butted heads so much. They were both too stubborn for their own good (though Alex wasn't one to talk. At least she knew when she had lost).

She pulled out her phone to pass the time and saw that she had a text from Haruhi.

 **Haruhi:** _Kyoya said you're out. Where are you?_

The text was sent about three hours ago, and since then she had gotten many other texts from the other hosts.

 **Hikaru:** _Allleexxx, when are you going to be back?_

 **Kaoru:** _Why aren't you answering?_

 **Tamaki:** _we had a WHOLE day planned out and you abandoned us?_

 **Honey:** _Arekkuu-chan?_

Alex sighs and shakes her head. She sends out a group text to everyone.

 **Alex:** _I have been abducted by the woman who is my social worker. Probably won't be back tonight but distractions are welcome._

 **Kyoya:** W _here are you going Arekusandoria?_

 **Alex:** _No clue. Nat won't tell me anything_.

 **Tamaki:** _Well you better be back tomorrow, we have a birthday to celebrate!_

 **Kaoru:** _Yeah!_

 **Hikaru:** _You better not skip out on us._

 **Honey:** _We're going to have the biggest cake for your Arekku-chan_!

 **Alex:** _First: Kyoya, I hate you. Second: it's not a big deal, guys. It's just a day._

 **Kyoya:** _you should have beaten my exam score_

 **Tamaki:** _How can you said it's not special? It's the day of your BRITH! The day the marvelous Alex came into this world. How can we not celebrate?_

 **H &K:** _What he said_

 **Alex:** _I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?_

 **All:** _nope_!

Alex fights back a sigh and she looks up from her phone to see that they seemed to be pulling up to an office building that rose into the sky. The car stopped and Natalie gathered her bags. "Come on," she says, grinning at her.

Alex slipped her phone back into her pocket and gathered her own bags before following Natalie to the building. Inside, there was a man sitting behind a desk, looking bored. He was reading a manga, though he had it positioned in a way that made it hard to see which one it was. He looked up as Alex and Natalie came in, and he sat up straight, looking surprised. He wasn't looking at Natalie, though, he was looking at Alex.

"What has the little orphaned Ootori girl come here for?" he asks, giving Alex a suspicious look. "We have not violated any rules…"

"No, no," Alex says with a small smile. "I'm not here on Ootori business."

"What about Ootori?" Natalie asks.

Alex looks at her in confusion before she remembers that Natalie couldn't speak the best Japanese. "He thinks I'm here on behalf of Mr. Ootori," Alex explains. "Weirdly."

The man looks back and forth between them. Obviously, he doesn't speak the best English. "What have you come for then? Who is this woman?"

"Calm, now, Ringo," a voice says from the other side of the room.

Alex looks over and sees a man who looked to be in his fifties heading towards them with a calm, kind smile. She feels her suspicion levels go up considerably. In her background, men like that could never be trusted.

"These ladies are my honored guests," the man says, motioning for the man behind the desk, Ringo, to sit back down.

He does so reluctantly, keeping his eyes on Alex and Natalie as they turn to face the man.

"Hello, I am Sho Hara, the owner of this building and manager of the business here," he reaches out and clasps Alex's hand, making her tense ever so slightly. She's able to keep her composure, though. "And you must be the young Alexandria Wright. Yoshio has spoken of you."

"Has he?" Alex says with a polite smile. She was getting better at those. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hara." She wished that someone would have warned her that she would be meeting one of Mr. Ootori's partners today. She probably would have dressed better for it, as well as mentally prepared herself. She never knew what these rich business men expect her to be or how they though she would act.

"And you are?" Mr. Hara asks Natalie, who was standing by patiently, watching the exchange even though she had no idea what they had been saying.

"This is my Social Worker, Natalie Jones," Alex says.

"Ah," Mr. Hara says in understanding. He switches to English. "It's very nice to meet you Ms. Jones."

Natalie relaxed, looking relieved to be able to speak in her own language. "You as well," she responds, shaking his hand.

"Now, if you two will follow me, we have a fun ride scheduled for today," Mr. Hara says.

Alex frowns at Natalie. _Ride?_ she mouths. Natalie just winks at her and follows Mr. Hara to the elevators.

* * *

Alex felt her mouth hang open. "A helicopter ride?" she asks in amazement, staring up at the machine.

"Of course!" Mr. Hara shouts over the sound of the motor. He grinned at her, obviously pleased by her surprise. Natalie, too, was grinning. She motioned for Alex to follow them to the copter.

Mr. Hara climbed in first and held his hand out to help Natalie and Alex in after him. Then he shut the door and buckled himself in. Natalie and Alex copied him, accepting the thick headphones they were given. Alex leaned over to the window to look in amazement as the ground grew smaller below them.

"Cool, huh?" Natalie asks.

Alex nods. It was way cooler than flying in an airplane, which didn't allow as much window views. Planes also didn't have giant spinning blades and allowed her such a surreal view of the city.

As they flew, Mr. Hara pointed out his different buildings and explained to them what it was he did. Apparently he helped to manage the many Ootori spa resorts, though mostly on the business side. The managers of the hotels reported to him and he reported to Mr. Ootori.

Alex was only half paying attention, though, her eyes on the city she flew over. She didn't waste any time snapping pictures and mentally taking in everything so she could tell her siblings (and the Host Club) later.

It was over too soon, though. Eventually they landed one the roof of a different building, and Natalie jumped down from the copter. She looked up to Alex, waiting.

"It was nice to meet you, Miss Alex," Mr. Hara says, sticking his hand out.

"You too Mr. Hara," Alex says with a smile and she accepts his hand to shake. "Thank you for sharing you helicopter with us today."

The man chuckles. "Anything for my closes partner," he says, patting Alex's hand. He helped her down, then, waving to them as the helicopter lifted back into the sky.

"What was that about?" Alex asks Natalie when the sound faded out of the air.

Natalie just smirked. "Mr. Ootori thought you would enjoy the ride, so he arranged for it to bring us here. Don't worry, all of our things will have made the drive here."

They had left their shopping bags at Mr. Hara's building. Alex hadn't even thought about them when they left, though now that she did, it did seem slightly strange that they would fly here rather than just drive, especially when they'd just bought a load of things.

"Right," Alex says, not believe for a second that this was Mr. Ootori's idea.

Natalie grinned at her. "Come on, there's one more thing."

Alex sighs. As much fun as the helicopter ride had been, the exhaustion of walking around Tokyo for nearly the whole day was starting to catch up with her. She followed Natalie nonetheless, not having much of a choice.

Inside, there was a suited man waiting for them. He had an earpiece in, which immediacy caught Alex's eye. Suited men with earpieces were almost never a good sign.

He didn't speak as they walked in, just nodded to Natalie and turned to lead them down a set of stairs and then to a hall. It looked like any office she'd ever seen, glass windows to show all the cubicles, people in business suits and pencil skirts walking around with folders in their hands. They hardly paid Alex and her companions any attention as they passed through.

The man led them to a room with two other suited men standing on either side. Alex couldn't help but feel her heart speed up in alarm and worry. What was going on? She hadn't done anything had she? She knew what she had told Natalie the night before, had she reported it and now they were going to threaten her or something? Well she wouldn't have it. These people couldn't control her life forever, and she wasn't going to let them.

Her mind swirled with all of the things she would say to them, all of the defenses she could have, when the man who greeted them opened the door and stepped aside so they would walk in. Natalie motioned that Alex should go first, so she did.

The room was not filled with official looking people like Alex had been expecting. As a matter of fact, the room was empty, save for two monitors in the middle of the room.

Alex frowned and looked over her shoulder at Natalie. The woman motioned for her to go further into the room. So slowly, Alex walked around to the other side of the monitors.

"Lexie!"

"Lex, hey!"

Alex stopped, frozen, not being able to believe it. "Adam? Ally?"

"Surprise," Ally says with a smile.

Alex looks up, too shocked to say anything. Natalie was still standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. "Happy birthday," she says, before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Alex stood there for a moment before shaking herself out of her reverie. "I…I can't…"

"Yeah," Ally says with a giggle. "Neither can we."

"We're just as shocked as you are," Adam says.

Alex shakes her head. She pulls out the chair that was tucked under the desk in front of the monitors and sat down. "IS this really happening?"

"Yeah," Ally says, grinning from ear to ear. "Something about a birthday present or something."

"But our birthday isn't even until tomorrow," Alex says.

"Two days for me," Adam says. "Remember you two are, like, a day ahead of me."

Both Ally and Alex sit up. "Does that mean we're technically older than you?" they say, immediate falling into their familiar unison. They smile at each other, not being able to help it.

Adam rolls his eyes. "How are you two able to do that, over video chat, and after months of not seeing each other?"

They both shrug, making Adam roll his eyes again. "And for your information, I will always be older."

It was the girls turn to roll their eyes, but they were all smiling. None of them could believe that this was happening.

"Okay enough of that," Ally says, leaning forward and resting her head on her hands. "You two, give me all of the updates. Boys, girls, Host clubs. I want to hear everything from your mouths."

Adam and Alex shared a slightly exasperated look, but they complied. Ally was one for gossip, especially if it came to her siblings. Not so she could spread it around or anything. She just liked a good story.

"Lex, you go first, after all you live the more glamorous life," Adam says, sitting back.

"Hardly," Alex scoffs. "Do you know how hard it is to remember how to properly speak and walk and stand and act around some of these people? It's exhausting."

"Oh, it can't be that bad," Ally says. "You sound like you're having a lot of fun in your letters."

"Unless there's something you're not telling us," Adam says with a raised eyebrow.

Alex leans her head on her hand. "Come on, you know me better than that. I just miss the freedom of running around green fields and rolling in the mud sometimes."

Her siblings chuckle wistfully. They felt the same way.

"Seriously, though," Ally says with a soft, gentle voice she'd adopted from their mother. "How are things there? How are the boys?"

Alex can't help but smile a little. That seemed to happen whenever she thought about the Host Club these days. "They're boys," she says. "Morons, don't think when they speak and sometimes don't really understand what's going on around them."

"I take offense to that," Adam says, even though he's obviously trying not to laugh.

"But you know it's true," Ally says.

"I never said it wasn't," Adam shoots back.

Alex smiles at them, having missed the back and forth bickering and off-hand comments. It had been so long since they had last spoken to each other, like really talked. A year, almost.

"Lex?"

Alex blinks and refocuses on her brother. "Hm?"

"Still zoning out I see," Ally says. "Same old Lexie."

Alex manages a smile at that, slightly surprised at how easy it came. Then again, it was always easy to smile around her siblings. "So Adam, what about you?" Alex asks. "What's new in New York?"

"Oh, same old, same old," he sighs. "Too many people, lots of traffic, lots of swearing at each other."

"Sounds like every city ever," Ally says, making them all chuckle.

"The band's going great, though," Adam says, perking up suddenly. "We've added some on the keyboard and she adds so much to the group so far. And Joe and I think we've found a gig that could really help us…" Adam went on and on about his band, and Ally and Alex sat back and listened. Adam was very passionate about this band. He and some of his foster brothers along with some friends from school have been trying for about a year and half to get a full band together and get serious about music. Because of some connections curtsy of their mother, the band has near full access to a small recording studio in the city, which is where they practically lived. Alex had spent a fair amount of time there herself when she had stayed in New York.

The three talked and talked and talked. Ally told them about a new dress she was designing and how she wanted to make it a pair for her and Alex and maybe even make a suit for Adam. She wouldn't stop talking about getting to go to Milan for fashion week and how she couldn't wait to send them both pictures and novel length letters about it all. And Alex talked about the ball, about everything she'd left out of her letter and background to the pictures she'd sent them. She told them about the game she and Kyoya had played as a way of studying for exams and an update on Kashi, who both Adam and Ally were incredibly jealous about.

Alex was half-way through telling them about the incredibly awkward dinner from the night before when she felt her phone buzz. She stopped midsentence and looked down at it. Kaoru.

"Who is it?" Ally asks.

"Karou," Alex says, letting her confusion show.

"Answer it," Ally says immediately. "I'm curious."

Ally rolls her eyes but she does, if only to see what he wants.

"Alex!" Kaoru exclaims.

"Hi Kaoru," Alex says in English, hoping he'd pick up on it and start speaking in English too.

"So we have a quick question for you," he says.

"Okay and that would be…?" Alex asks.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from his side. "You idiots, I told you that goes over there!" Tamaki shouted, loud enough to be heard as clear as day over the phone.

"Uhh what was that?" Alex asks.

"Don't worry about it!" Kaoru shouts over the increasing noise in the background. Alex gives her siblings a confused look, but they just looked highly amused, even though they couldn't really understand what Kaoru was saying. "So, we were wondering when you were going to be back."

"Oh," Alex says in surprise. "I'm not sure, honestly. Probably later this evening."

"Okay, great!" he exclaims. "Ah, I mean…." He trailed off, like he didn't know how to recover from that.

"Kaoru what's going on?" Alex asks.

"Nothing! What makes you think there's anything going on?" Hikaru asks, his voice coming out of nowhere.

"Because there's always something going on with you guys," Alex says, as if it should be obvious.

"Uh, hey, talk to Hruhi," Kaoru says.

There was some shuffling, some shouting, and the sound of a door being slammed shut.

"Uh…hello?" Haruhi's confused voice comes.

"What are you guys doing?" Alex asks.

"Nothing," Haruhi says. "Just the normal stuff."

"Haruhi you are a terrible liar." Alex looks at her siblings, who looked as if they were trying not to laugh. Alex made a face at them, which made them both have to cover their mouths to muffle their laugher.

"It's really nothing. Just something Tamaki planned."

"That is never a good sign," Alex says.

"You're not wrong," Haruhi mutters, making Alex chuckle. "But hey, you want to come over to my place when you get back? Dad's been wanting to meet you."

"Oh," Alex says in surprise. "Sure."

"Great. Do you know what time?"

"Uh, no," Alex says. "But I'll let you know, alright?"

"Great," Hurhi says again. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Bye. "

The girls hung up and Alex just stared at her phone. "Well that was strange."

"Tell me about it," Ally giggles. "Are they always that hyper?"

"Some days are better than others," Alex says, shaking her head.

 **Well, there you go!**

 **I hope you enjoyed meeting Adam and Ally properly. I felt like it's high time they were properly introduced.**

 **I promise, things should start picking up soon. I've got a lot of exciting things in store for y'all.**

 **Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed and favorited. You guys are the best.**

 **So anyway, thanks for reading and please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm SO sorry that this is so long. There is just way too much I want to be sure to put in. I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

 **Also very sorry for the long wait. I was being very picky with this one.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Wait, so you actually told him that there was a sea monster under the school?" Ally asks.

"Yeah," Adam grins. "Believed it too. He went on an entire 'expedition' to find it and wound up getting caught by a teacher."

"Adam that's horrible," Alex says, though she's smiling.

"It's not my fault! He's the one who wouldn't shut up about the Loch Ness Monster."

"That doesn't mean you have to kill his dreams."

"Then he shouldn't have cheated off of me!" Adam defends. "Now I've got an entire project to make up."

"I mean, that is kind of fair," Ally says.

Alex rolls her eyes, but she doesn't argue further. Just because she agrees doesn't mean that it's right.

Suddenly, there's shouting out in the hall. Alex jumps, surprised by the sudden sound. She'd almost forgotten where she was.

"What's going on?" Ally asks, noticing Alex's sudden distraction.

"I don't know," Alex frowns, looking at the door. "It sounds like an argument."

"About what?" Adam asks, just as nosy as his sisters.

Alex shrugs, her own curiosity starting to nag at her.

The three of them go silent, trying to hear what was going on. After a few moments of not being able to understand anything that was being said, though, Ally pipes up. "Go to the door and see what it is. It may be important."

Alex nods. She'd been thinking the same thing. She stands and walks around the desk to the door, being as silent as she could while doing so. Not that it mattered, really. The noise in the hall was too loud for anyone to hear something inside this room.

She pressed her ear to the door, but she still couldn't make out anything clearly. There were too many voices. So she cracked the door open a bit, and things became a little bit clearer.

"You're not allowed access, sir," one of the guards outside the door said.

"And why not?" a voice said, his accent heavy.

The other guard starting telling the boy that he wasn't allowed and the boy asked why and demanded to see whoever was in charge, because this was his father's building and he was allowed where he wanted. The guards continued to argue and he continued to fight.

Alex, though, bit back a smile and threw the door open. "What's all this fuss?" she asks, making the three men jump slightly.

The guards turned to stare at her, or rather to glare at her for making herself known. Although she wanted to shrink back from those glares, she forced herself to ignore them. "Well?" she asks. She peers past them, and sure enough Kyoya was standing a few feet away, looking irritated. They locked eyes and Alex let her confusion show. "What are you doing here?" she asks him.

"I should ask you the same thing," Kyoya says, though there was a glint in his eye that was covered by the reflection of light off of his glasses. Now that Alex was here, he seemed to be reverting back to his cool and collected self.

Alex studied him. "I asked you first."

His lips twitched, but before he could say anything, the guards blocked their view of each other. "We're going to have to ask you to step back into the room, miss," the one on her left said.

Alex frowned at them. "Technically," she says, "I haven't stepped out of the room." It was true. She'd just opened the door, but her feet had stayed planted firmly inside.

"Close the door, please, miss," the one on the right says, sounding exasperated.

She had that effect on these kinds of people. "Where's Natalie? I want to talk to her."

"I as well," Kyoya says on the other side of the Guard Wall.

"Ms. Jones has stepped out for a moment," the right hand guard said.

 _Yeah right_. Natalie had the annoying habit of staying within a hundred feet of Alex whenever she decided to pay a visit. So it was hard for Alex to believe that she had left Alex all alone with just two guards.

Alex sighs and rolls her eyes. "You can let him in, you know. He's no harm."

"We're not authorized to let in anyone but you and Ms. Jones," the left guard says.

"Hm," Alex says thoughtfully. Then she shrugs and nudges the door open even more and turned to walk back to the desk. "Sorry about that Ally, Adam. Where were we?" she made a point of saying their names loudly, and was rewarded when she glanced over her shoulder and saw both guards glaring daggers at her right before one of them leaned in and slammed the door shut.

Her sibling burst into laughter.

"Lexie that was _great_!" Ally exclaims, covering her mouth to try and muffle the giggles that were escaping.

Alex smiles bashfully, though she can't help but be slightly pleased with making her brother and sister laugh.

"Who was that anyway?" Adam asks once they'd all calmed down a bit.

"Kyoya," Alex says, leaning back in his chair. "Why he's here, I have no clue."

"Didn't he say that this was his father's building or something?" Ally asks.

Alex shrugs. "Yeah, which doesn't surprise me, if I'm being honest."

"Still, it's kind of weird," Adam says, frowning now that the laughter had passed.

Alex didn't know why this seemed to bother her siblings. Then again, they don't know Kyoya as well as she does.

"It's kind of annoying, though, isn't it?" Ally asks suddenly, her voice a little sad. "They don't want a bunch of people knowing that we're triplets and separated because they think it's dangerous. I mean, what's the harm to a few people knowing?"

"I wish I knew," Alex says with a sigh. "But Kyoya's part of my host family, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that he knows about you two."

Suddenly the door opened and Natalie was standing there, glaring slightly at the guards. "Honestly I'm gone for two seconds and already you two are messing things up," she says.

"We apologize, Ms. Jones," one of the guards says, though he doesn't sound too happy about it.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," Kyoya says coolly, and then he's walking into the room as well, shutting the door maybe a little too hard behind him. "Thank you for clearing that up Ms. Jones," he says to Natalie.

"I'm sorry they were ill informed," Natalie says.

Alex and her siblings exchange a look. "What are you doing here, anyway Kyoya?" Alex asks, bringing the attention to her.

Natalie looks from Alex to Kyoya and she takes a step back. "I'll leave you to talk," she says. "I'll be right down the hall."

 _I have no doubt you will_ , Alex thinks, but then turns her attention back to Kyoya as soon as the door closes behind her.

"I've come to make sure you get back in one piece," Kyoya says. "Besides, my father is growing restless. Our friends as well."

Alex looks up at him then. She didn't want to go back there yet. She didn't want to have to say goodbye to Adam and Ally ever again.

"They can wait a little while longer," Ally says, now sounding annoyed.

Kyoya looks at Alex in surprise, though Alex simply shook her head. It had not been her who had spoken.

"Over here," Ally says, drawing Kyoya's attention.

Kyoya, frowning slightly, comes around the desk to look at Adam and Ally.

"Hi," Ally syas with a smile. "Kyoya. Nice to finally meet you."

"You as well," Kyoya answers, nodding to both of them.

"Don't take our little Lexie away so soon," Ally says. "It's not fair that you get her every day."

Alex glances at Kyoya and she can see something in him soften, much to her surprise. Then again, it really shouldn't be a surprise. Ally's got that kind of charm over people, something Alex unfortunately lacks.

"I won't argue with you on that," Kyoya says, leaning against Alex's chair.

Alex rolls her eyes, but she can't help the small smile on her lips. She and Adam exchange a look, but Adam's smiling too, looking relived. Then something on his side dinged. He frowned and picked up his small phone and looked at it, then groaned. "It's Jake."

"Jake," Ally's suddenly alert, a gleam coming into her eyes. "How is he, by the way?"

Alex feels herself groan. "Can we please not talk about him?"

"Why? You don't want to talk about your little crush?" Ally teases, wiggling her eyebrows at her sister.

Alex flushes, ducking her head and letting her hair hide her face from Kyoya. Was this really a conversation to be having in front of him?

"I don't like him," Alex mutters.

"Anymore," Adam says with a scoff. "You know he asks about you all the time, Lex."

Alex can't help but look up at that. "He does?"

"Who is this Jake?" Kyoya asks, sounding suddenly very interested.

Alex bits her lip, trying to convey the message to her siblings that she does not want to talk about this in front of Kyoya.

"Oh just a hottie," Ally says with a shrug. "A jerk, but a hottie."

Kyoya was silent at that. When Alex glanced at him, he was looking right back at her, an almost thoughtful look on his face.

She cleared her throat and looked away, wondering why his gaze had sent another rush of heat to her cheeks.

* * *

Adam and Ally seem to like Kyoya, for the most part at least. Alex knew that they were skeptical of the Host Club, as they had a right to be, but at least they were willing to talking to him.

For the most part, though, Kyoya seemed inclined to stay silent and simply watch the siblings interact. He sat back on the desk, listening to the stories the triplets told each other and asking a question about this person or that person.

Eventually, though, the texts and calls Kyoya had been ignoring became too much. Alex saw him sigh as he looked at his phone. "I assume that's everyone wondering where we are," she says, her voice soft.

Kyoya just nods.

"Yeah," Adam says, "Evan's been bothering me too. I didn't tell any of them where I was going…."

"Jackie too," Ally says.

Alex sighs. She knew that this would have to come to an end, but she hadn't wanted to think about it.

"I'll have y'all's Christmas presents in the mail soon," Ally says with a smile. "I think you're going to love em."

Adam and Alex smiled, just as Natalie came back in.

"We're saying our goodbyes," Alex says as Natalie opened her mouth. The woman sighed and nodded, retreating to the back of the room.

"Take care of her for us, will you Kyoya?" Ally says, her voice tight with what Alex knew were tears.

"Yeah, she's a loose wire, that one," Adam says.

Alex rolls her eyes, but smiled at them nonetheless.

Kyoya detached himself from the desk and bowed to the screens. "Alex is under good care," he assures them. He straightens and puts a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I will be in the hall Arekusandoria."

When he's gone, Natalie following him, Alex sighs and looks back at her siblings.

"He's cute," Ally says.

Alex laughs and shakes her head. "You think everyone's cute."

"Ture," Ally says with a shrug, "but he really is."

Alex shrugs but she has a small smile on her face, one that doesn't go unnoticed by her siblings.

Adam and Ally give their sister a knowing look. They could call her out on it, but it seems that neither she nor Kyoya knew just what they felt themselves. They looked at each other and agreed. It would be better to let them figure it out for themselves and be there for Alex when she needs them. Though it probably couldn't hurt to give her a little nudge here and there.

* * *

The Ootori car was waiting for them at the bottom of the building, and the driver held the door open. Alex's shopping bags were in there as well everything she'd bought (Christmas presents included) accounted for.

Natalie told them that she would meet them there, that there were still things she'd needed to take care of, so it was Kyoya and Alex alone for a long ride back to the Ootori house.

They were both silent for a while, but then Alex turned and looked at him. "Thank you."

Kyoya glances over at him, his expression indifferent. "What for?" he asks.

"The helicopter ride. Convincing Natalie to let Adam, Ally and I talk. Really talk, for hours instead of a few minutes, which is the most we've gotten since I left New York."

Kyoya turned his attention back out the window. He was strangely little black book-less. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Alex feels herself smile. "Yes you do," she says, certainty in her voice. He turns to look at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "Natalie said that it was Mr. Ootori who convinced Mr. Hara to take us on a helicopter ride today. Your father doesn't care about me that much, Kyoya. In fact, he doesn't really care about me at all, let alone enough to arrange a helicopter ride over the city for me." When he was still silent, Alex reached over and took his hand.

His head shot up so suddenly it almost made Alex take her hand back. But she didn't. She tightened her grip, telling herself that there was nothing to be afraid of. Kyoya wouldn't hurt her.

"So thank you," she whispers, giving his hand another squeeze before letting go.

He still doesn't say anything. He doesn't acknowledge that he was the one who set all of this up or her thanks, but she knew from the surprised look in his eyes when she figured it out that it was true.

It just made her wonder how much else he'd done for her without her ever knowing about it.

* * *

"So what were y'all doing today that caused such a ruckus?" Alex asked after a very long time of riding in silence.

"Nothing of your concern," Kyoya says without looking at her.

Alex frowns. "I'm not stupid you know."

At this, he does look at her, his eyes narrowing. "I never said you were."

Alex rolls her eyes. "If you're planning something for my birthday, stop. It's really not something I usually celebrate."

He was silent again, but this time he studies her carefully. "Why?" he asks.

"Because…." She lets her voice trail off, trying to find the right words. "It's never been a big deal before. I mean, back when Mom and Dad were around and Adam, Ally and I were together…yeah, we'd have a small party, some cake and presents, but it's just never been a big thing. And…" again her voice trials off, and she didn't really want to finish her thoughts.

 _And I don't want to celebrate it without my brother and sister_.

She didn't say it and she didn't have to. Kyoya nodded in understanding and this time he was the one who took her hand. She didn't look at him but rather at his fingers gripping hers. He still didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. Somehow, Alex understood.

This was precisely why they were going to make a big deal out of her birthday. They wanted to make it as great as possible because she couldn't spend it with the people she actually wanted to spend it with. They couldn't bring back her parents from the dead, and they couldn't bring Adam and Ally to Japan with her, so they had arranged for them to at least be able to talk with each other for a few hours. They were also going to make sure that she had at least a fun time on her birthday in Japan.

They were doing everything they could to make her happy on what they must know what is a usually sad day, and Alex should probably just go along with it. After all, nobody's cared this much in a very long time.

* * *

Alex was shaken awake out of dreams of dancing and cake and laughter.

She straightened, rubbing her eyes and looking around. The car was dark, the sun having set half way there. She must have fallen asleep, her early wake up call, and her long day out having caught up to her. It took her a small moment to realize that they were not, in fact, in front of the Ootori house but rather in front of Haruhi's apartment building.

She was confused for a moment until she remembered that she'd agreed to stay at Haruhi's house for the night.

Her door opened then, revealing the other girl. She smiled at them. "Hey Alex, hey Kyoya senpai."

"Good evening Haruhi," Kyoya says.

"Um, I don't have any…." Alex started, trying to muddle through her tired mind, but then Kyoya shoved something into her lap. It was a small bag, probably full of clothes and other overnight things.

"Sarrii packed a bag for you," he explains at her quizzical look.

"Oh," Alex says, not entirely awake. She was so tired.

Haruhi chuckles at Alex's obviously sleepy state and grabbed the bag from her, slinging it over her shoulder before grabbing Alex's arm and pulling her out of the car.

"We'll be by at nine," Kyoya calls, right before Haruhi closes the door.

The car drives off, leaving the two girls alone. "Come on," Haruhi says, pulling Alex after her and towards the building.

"Dad's not going to be home tonight, so we have the place to ourselves," Haruhi says. "But he should be back in the morning."

Alex just nods, trying to hide the yawn that was threatening to appear. Haruhi saw, though, and smiled. "Had a long day?"

Alex nods, a small smile playing on her lips. Haruhi doubts she even noticed it. She takes Alex's stuff and shows her to Haruhi's room, where they'd be sleeping. "What did you do?" she asked as Alex took her things and disappeared behind a screen to change.

"Nat took me shopping," Alex's sleepy voice comes. "Not the most exciting thing. But then we went on a helicopter ride." She came out from behind the screen wearing hot pink pajama pants and a light pink shirt. She sat down on the cot Haruhi had made up for her, not even seeming to care or notice that it was far from a bed. "And we went to a building where they had set up a video chat with Adam and Ally."

Haruhi grins. Of course she'd known about this, but she was excited to hear about it. "That's awesome! How did it go?"

Alex smiles sleepily. She stretches out on her cot and yawns again. "Amazing," she sighs. "It was nice to talk to them, really talk to them, again. Even if it was just for a few hours." She giggles softly. "I'd forgotten how irritating they can be sometimes. Ally likes to think every boy I talk to is trying to date me."

Haruhi glances sharply at the other girl. _Huh?_ "Really?" she asks.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" Alex giggles again, obviously too tired to have a filter. "Kyoya showed up and we stalled a little while. That's why we were so late. She kept giving me looks and after he left the room she kept going on about how cute he is. Not that she's not right…"

"What?" Haurhi says, surprised.

Alex just shrugs, snuggling closer under the blanket. "He's cute. Kyoya, I mean. But then again, aren't all of them?"

"Uh, I guess?" Haruhi says, a little unsure about this Alex with no filter.

"It was sweet though, arranging the helicopter ride and video chat," Alex mutters, her eyes slowly closing. "He is really sweet underneath all of the coldness he has to keep up because of his father. He's actually very warm hearted, you know." She yawns again, a smile painting her face. "Really….sweet…even when…he…doesn't…want to…show it…" her voice trails off and her breath evens out. She'd fallen asleep.

Haruhi shakes her head. She doubts Alex knew what she was saying, doubt that she realized she was saying those things. But the words must have come from somewhere, right? Somewhere in her heart.

She sighs and gets up to start turning the lights out. She hoped Alex would be careful, if she ever does realize how she feels (it was starting to become increasingly clear to Haruhi since she first saw how much Kyoya actually takes care of her, but she hadn't wanted to say anything about it) it could be dangerous for both of them.

* * *

Alex sighed and rolled over, curling tighter under her blanket, clinging to the last threads of sleep. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a lazy, cozy feel over the room. For a moment, everything felt almost safe and content, like nothing bad could happen as long as she stayed under this blanket in this small little sun filled room.

Finally, though, she stretched and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't slept this well in what felt like years. Then she looked around the room and realized that she was alone. The spot next to her was empty and the door closed. She frowned, wondering where Haruhi was.

The spell of waking up in a comfy place was slowly disappearing as Alex stood and opened the door to find the other room empty as well. "Hello?" she calls into the apartment, only to get silence in return. She walked into the lounge area and saw a chocolate cupcake with blue frosting and a pink candle that looked as if it had just been lit sticking out of it. There was a small folded note next to it.

 _Happy Birthday!_

 _Here's a special birthday breakfast cupcake. I know it's not much, but there's a decent bakery nearby so I thought you would enjoy it._

 _I convinced the boys to let you sleep in since it looked like you had a long day yesterday. Kyoya said that there'll be a car waiting for you when you wake up and it'll bring you to the "location of the day" or something._

 _See you there,_

 _—Haruhi_

Alex couldn't help but smile. How sweet of Haruhi to do that for her. She set the note aside as she picked up the cupcake and blew out the candle.

Distantly, she wondered what they had in store for today. Knowing the Host Club, it would probably be something either extravagant or completely mundane. And despite her protests to celebrating today, she can't help but be a little bit excited. It _had_ been a long time since she'd celebrated a birthday—for good reasons—and she could feel four years of suppressed birthdays building up inside of her. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, celebrating her birthday here. After all, if her mother knew that she was actually in Japan and didn't do something special for her birthday, she would probably be disappointed.

Besides, the cupcake wasn't half bad.

There was an entire outfit lied out for her, one that she immediately knew was Ally's handiwork.

It was a blue-green long sleeved blouse and a pair of deep blue pants. They weren't denim, exactly, but more of a thicker material. Alex knew that it would keep her warm in the cold, which was probably Ally's intentions. There was also a pair of zip up black leather boots and a wool peach pea-coat, which accentuated her few curves.

It hadn't been in the bag Sarrii had packed for her, so the package must have gotten there while she was out or they had just kept it out of her view. Either way, it made her smile.

Once she was changed, she jogged downstairs, where the Ootori car was waiting.

* * *

"How much longer?" Hikaru asks.

"Who knows," Kaoru answers.

"Would you two stop? She was obviously exhausted last night," Haruhi says, sitting back again the wall.

"Yeah, but this means we have to wait for her," the twins say.

"So what? It's her birthday and he should be able to sleep however long she wants to," Haruhi says defensively.

"I agree," Tamaki says, appearing in the doorway of the lobby. He sits down next to Haruhi, making her scoot over a little. "Our little Alex needs her beauty rest just like the rest of us."

The twins exchange a look. "So why did you drag us out of bed at six a.m.?" they mutter to each other.

Just then, the car pulled up outside. Alex stepped out, looking up at the building curiously.

Suddenly Kyoya was standing in the doorway, as if he had heard the car outside. Alex walked inside and smiled at them, her new outfit fitting her perfectly. Tamaki stood to greet her, immediately going to her side. "Happy birthday young Alex," he says, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

She just gives him a smile. "Thanks Tamaki," she says a bit bashfully.

The twins were by her side then, talking to her a mile a minute. They complimented her outfit and wished her a happy birthday and started talking about the plans they had for the day.

Kyoya walked over then, making them fall silent and turn their attention to him. "Come Arekusandoria," he says, motioning to the door.

Alex looked up at him, then over his shoulder at the door. "This is an ice rink, right?"

"Caught us," the twins say with a laugh.

Alex rolls her eyes, but she follows them to the ice rink, where Honey and Mori were already on the ice, skating around with music playing in the back ground. Honey saw them and waved when they came in. they were both skating around like pros.

"Here Alex, we got some skates for you," the twins say, holding up a brand new pair of skates.

"They should be snug enough to keep you from breaking your ankles," Kaoru says, handing them to her.

"And they've been freshly sharpened, so they'll be easy to skate on," Hikaru adds.

Alex's eyes light up as she takes the gift, looking genuinely surprised and pleased. "Wow. Thanks guys, you shouldn't have gotten me anything…"

"Don't be silly," Kaoru says, nudging her a little.

"It was the least we could do for you," Hikaru says.

She looks touched. She hugged the skates in one arm and gave squeezed both of their hands in thanks before walking over to a bench to change shoes.

* * *

Ice skating with the Host Club was interesting to say the least.

A few of the boys, like Mori and Honey, were almost expert skaters while the others, like Tamaki, were mediocre at best. Alex herself, though, was alright. She'd gone ice skating plenty of times, but she wasn't gold medal material or anything.

She took turns skating with all of them. Honey practically dragged her across the ice, but it was fun since she was actually able to keep her balance. She was also able to learn new skating techniques from him. Whenever she was about to fall over, though, Mori would be right there to help her.

The twins skated on either side of her, and both of them held one of her hands. They were about as good as she was at skating, so they all stumbled and even fell over a couple of times. It was okay, though, because in the end they would be a giggling mess. It was the first time any of them had really seen her laugh.

Alex spent most of her time with Tamaki trying to help him skate a bit better, but it was a little too funny to watch him stumble when he was usually so graceful. Haruhi came to help her, both of them exchanging amused looks.

The only person who wasn't on the ice was Kyoya.

After they'd been on the ice for a while, Alex excused herself for a break and skated over to the edge of the rink and stepped off. She wobbled over to where Kyoya was sitting, writing in his little book.

"Why don't you skate, Kyoya?" she asks, breathing a little hard. She was sweating a bit too, but she was far from caring at this point. She was having too much fun.

"I don't skate," Kyoya says simply, handing her a water bottle.

Alex sits back against the wall and takes a sip of water. "Everyone skates."

"I don't," Kyoya says blandly.

She rolls her eyes, and watched Haruhi and Tamaki stumble along the ice for a moment. "You don't know how to, do you?"

Kyoya glances at her, but continues to write. "I don't know what you mean."

"Please, you're not that dense," she says, sarcasm heavy in her voice. "You don't know how to skate."

"Of course I do," Kyoya says.

Alex raises her eyebrows. "Then prove it."

His hand freezes and he doesn't answer or look at her.

She sits back with a smirk. "Knew it."

"Perhaps I don't want to skate. It is a rather childish activity," he says, again, without looking at her.

"It also happens to be an Olympic sport," Alex points out. She nudges him gently. "Come on, it's not that bad."

He doesn't respond. Alex looks around, spots a pair of skates that were obviously meant for Kyoya, and grabbed them. "Please? For my birthday?"

She _never_ played the birthday card. She didn't even know why she wanted to get Kyoya on the ice so badly. It felt like a challenge, almost, to prove that Kyoya could participate in such a mundane activity like the rest of them and maybe enjoy it.

Kyoya gave her a little glare and looked away. Alex sighed and set the skates aside. "Alright then," she says with a shrug before getting up and getting back on the ice. She starts skating around, joining Haruhi and the other boys in what looked like a contest to see who could cross the width of the rink the quickest.

Alex had just nearly crashed into Haruhi, the two girls having to grab on to each other in order to stay on their feet, when she heard Honey say, "Look, Kyo-chan's joining us!"

Alex glanced over and saw Kyoya shakily getting on the ice, obviously trying to stay upright.

She and Haruhi exchanged small smile. Haurhi nudged Alex over to him. She skated over and smiled up at him. "Need some help?"

"No," he says through gritted teeth.

Alex rolls her eyes and grabs his hands, prying them away from the side of the rink. He clutches on to her, his grip tight. Alex skates backwards, pulling him closer to the center of the rink. He was unsteady, trying to find a good grip on the ice.

"Kick off with your whole foot," she says, "and don't look at your feet, that'll just make things worse."

He tries to do what she says, but she can tell that he's a bit frustrated. She squeezes his hands and tugs up a little closer. "It's alright, just let your legs move."

Her advice works for about three seconds before he loses his balance and sends them both tumbling to the ground. His feet slip out from under him and he falls backwards, accidentally pulling Alex with him. She lands on top of him, and they lie there for a second, both of them too shocked to do anything.

Then Alex giggles a little and sits up, rolling off of him. He sits up too, rubbing the back of his head. "It takes some practice," she says with a smile.

Kyoya shakes his head, looking irritated. "I'm sorry," he mutters, looking down. If Alex didn't know any better, she would have said that he was embarrassed.

"It happens," Alex says. "We all fall once in a while, right?"

He looks at her then, a startled expression on his face, but then the others are standing over them, smiling at them like they knew a secret that the two on the ground didn't.

"Finally decided to join us, huh Kyoya?" Tamaki asks, reaching out a hand to help Kyoya to his feet. The twins bent down and helped Alex, and soon they were both back on their feet, Kyoya leaning a bit on Tamaki. Alex holds her hand out to him.

"Want to have another try?" she asks.

Kyoya scowls, but he takes Alex's hand nonetheless.

 **Another chapter done! Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, guys. The end of this story is near! Uploads may be few and far between, but know I'm trying to make the rest of this fan fiction as great as I can make it! Thank you all so much for sticking with me, and I hope that you continue to do so for the rest of the story. It'll be good I promise.**

 **Thanks for reading and as always please oh please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello everybody! I'm here with another chapter for you!**

 **I hope you've all be having a good life and that those of you in school are doing well. Work hard!**

 **Enjoy!**

They spend a good part of the day at the rink, all of them loosing track of time. Before they know it, the sun has gone down and they're all starving.

They end up going back to the Ootori house for dinner, where the chef has already prepared a birthday dinner. It was most of Alex's favorite foods, prepared almost perfectly. And of course, there was a cake, which was gone almost as soon as it hit the table.

Alex couldn't remember a better birthday since her parents died. Then again, the Host Club had been the only people in four years to have been attempted to celebrate her birthday, so she hadn't had much to compare it to.

With every year, there was an underlying sadness to the whole day. Without her parents or Adam and Ally, they day didn't just feel real enough. The Host Club made it at least a little bit more bearable, and besides, she'd had some time to get used to not waking up with her mother's freshly made pancakes and Aunt Nancy's special birthday cakes. Still, though, it was a bittersweet day.

"There's one more thing," Tamaki says as they all finish the cake (literally finish the whole thing. With Honey there, no piece of cake would go uneaten).

"Today's already been great enough," Alex protests.

"Oh, shut up," Haurhi says, pulling Alex out of her chair. "Close your eyes."

She sighs but closes them, letting Haruhi pull her to wherever they were going. She could hear the others around them, the twins muttering excitedly behind her and Honey giggling like he was expecting something fun to happy anytime soon. She would guess that Tamaki and Kyoya were right in front of them, leading the way.

"Alright, you can open your eyes," Tamaki says, sounding excited.

Alex did, and it took her a moment to take in what she was seeing.

It was her room, well, what was her room, but completely different. It had been completely redecorated and didn't look like it had yesterday morning.

The lounge area had the same white couches, but there were throw pillows on them with different designs and quotes on them. The glass coffee table was the same, but there was a new blue and white stripped rug underneath it. The stairs leading to her bedroom area had fairy lights twisted around the railing. The lamps were different, the shades a very light blue. The shelves around the TV were filled with her CD's and movies, most of which she'd kept in boxes when she arrived. There was even a corner dedicated to just kitty things for Kashi.

The walls, though, were what got her. They were full of pictures, most of which Alex took herself but there were plenty of Adam's and Ally's there too. She could see recent pictures of her and the Host Club, but also old pictures from when she still lived on the farm with her family. Not only where there pictures, though, but there were paintings, and that's when Alex knew she had gotten her present from Adam.

There were paintings of what looked like random things, but that Alex knew the meaning behind. One was of the view from the roof of their old house, one of the skyline of New York merging to the skyline of Japan. Alex knew because she had taken a picture of it when she'd first flown in. Adam had copied it to the exact detail and made it blend with New York. There was a painting of a bouquet of lilies, and one of just the Milky Way.

One painting, though, really caught her eye. It was of eight people, all of them silhouetted against the horizon, looking up at the fading sun. The people were small, tiny compared to the sky, but they were there nonetheless. Alex could even see what looked to be the shortest person sitting on the shoulders of the tallest. She choked back tears as she noticed what looked to be a small heart made out of the coming stars. No one would see it unless they were looking for it, but Alex knew her brother. He always put little things like that into his paintings, and they usually had a meaning. She didn't have to ask him what this one was though, because she felt that she knew exactly what he was trying to tell her.

"Well?" Tamaki asks, looking hopefully at Alex as she walked around the room in awe.

She turned to look at her friends, who were all staring at her, waiting for her verdict. She couldn't hide the tears in her eyes. "It's….this is incredible," she chokes out.

"You really like it?" Honey asks, and Alex nods. The boy frowns. "So why are you crying?"

Alex smiles through the tears, brushing them away. "Because it's beautiful," she says, looking back at the pictures. Her whole life, at least everything in the past four years, was on these walls. She always kept her photos, even when she ran. She kept them in a nice little box in her backpack that she had guarded with her life. She has no idea how she managed to keep up with all of them, but she had.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Is this what y'all were doing yesterday?" she asks.

"Yeah, we didn't want to give anything away," Hikaru says.

"And Adam and Ally knew about it," Alex goes on, looking at the paintings and the detailed layout of the room. She thought about their little smiles whenever she brought up one of the hosts, and now she knew why.

"Yes, and they were happy to be part of the distraction," Kyoya says.

Alex shakes her head. She didn't know what else to say to all of this except…

"Thank you." She looks at each host, wanting them to know that there was so much more behind those two words.

They smiled at her, like they understood, but Alex wasn't sure they did. It would be a while, she felt, before they actually understood exactly what they've done for her, not just today but over the months she's been in the country. She hoped that maybe one day she'd be able to explain it to them.

For now, though, she'd settle with the simple thanks.

* * *

That night, when Kyoya looked out the window that led to the garden, he noticed that there was a faint light illuminating the stone. He could see a figure sitting on the ground, their knees pulled up to their chest, their head tilted up to the sky.

Slipping a jacket on and grabbing a blanket, he walks out, Alex showing no indication that she heard him approaching.

"Why are you up so late Arekusandoria?" he asks, kneeling and wrapping a blanket around her bare arms. Alex tugs the blanket closer around her, but that was the only sign he got of her even realizing he was there.

Sighing, Kyoya sits down next to her. At this point, he was used to her strange late night habits.

"You know," she says softly, "Adam's probably celebrating right now. He would have just woken up."

Kyoya follows her gaze to the moon and the few amount of stars that were visible. He shouldn't be too surprised that she was thinking about her brother, especially on today of all days.

Alex shivered, pulling the blanket closer around her. "I lied earlier," she says softly, "there was something else that we used to do on our birthday."

Kyoya sat and waited for her to go on. She would if she wanted to, and he'd learned not to press her at this point. It wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Mom, Dad, Ally, Adam and I would all go to this spot on our land, and we'd camp out there. It'd be far enough away from the house that it didn't feel like we were so close to civilization. Even when it was this cold out we'd go and we'd all huddle by the fire and we'd look up at the stars—they're so bright out there, you know—and we'd just tell stories and draw pictures in the sky." She sighs which turns into a yawn.

"It sounds rather miserable, if you ask me," Kyoya says.

She chuckles at that. "Yeah, it was if I'm being honest," she keeps giggling. "I never liked camping much. Now I'd give just about anything to have it all back." She sighs and lies her head on Kyoya's shoulder. "Isn't it weird, how you dislike something so much one moment but would wish it back in a flash once you'd lost it?"

Kyoya's silent for a moment, still staring up at the moon. "Is that supposed to make sense?"

"I guess it wouldn't to you," she says, her speech slurring and slowing down. "You haven't lost anything worth missing." In a few moments, her breath had slowed too and it was obvious that she had fallen asleep.

Sighing, Kyoya wraps his arms around her and lifts her up, taking her to her bed. He keeps the blanket around her, mostly because it seemed as if she didn't seem at all inclined to give it back. As he turns to go down the stairs to leave, he glances over his shoulder at her sleeping figure.

 _You haven't lost anything worth missing._

 _No_ , a part of him thought, a part that he refused to acknowledge, _but I think I may be starting to._

* * *

Christmas in the Ootori house, as it turned out, wasn't that big of a deal. Not that it surprised Alex all that much. They didn't really seem like the kind of family to make a big event of it.

The Host Club, however, had other ideas.

They all met at the Suho house (the Suho's family second mansion, Kyoya had explained to her, where Tamaki lives), which was decorated from top to bottom with Christmas decorations. She and Kyoya were greeted by the staff, all of whom were happy and wearing red scarves with their uniforms. A maid gleefully took her coat, scarf, hat, and gloves, and even complimented her on them. Another maid offered hot chocolate or tea as they were being escorted to Tamaki's lounge.

Kyoya acted as if all of this were normal, which made since, but Alex was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with all of the politeness. Not that she wasn't grateful for it, she just wasn't all that used to it. At the Ootori home, Sarrii was really the only staff member she ever really spoke to on a regular basis, and at school, most people ignored her.

The other hosts were already there, their voice loud and clear from the behind the closed door. The maid escorting them opened it and almost immediately they were attacked by a golden retriever.

"Ah!" Alex exclaims, jumping out of the way to prevent the dog from getting to the cat carrier she was holding. She'd brought Kashi on Tamaki's request but now she was wishing she hadn't. She had no idea how her cat would act around a dog, or vice versa.

"Antoiniette! Be gentle," Tamaki says with a laugh, calling the dog back to him.

"Well, jeeze if I knew there was going to be a dog present I wouldn't have brought the cat," Alex says with a small smile, cradling the cat carrier to her. She could feel Kashi getting restless from the way the cat shifted and meowed.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Antoiniette," Tamaki says, rubbing the dog's head affectionately.

Alex rolls her eyes and goes to sit by Haruhi, setting the carrier in her lap, eyeing Antoinette wearily. Kashi pawed at the door of the carrier impatiently, obviously seeing that they were inside now.

"Okay, okay you impatient little brat," Alex says fondly, opening up the door.

As if sensing this, Antoiniette's head perks up and she bounds over to sniff at the open carrier. Kashi pokes her head out and regards Antoiniette thoughtfully. Then the dog barked and started wagging her tail, panting happily. Kashi emerges from her carrier, looking around at the new room, now completely ignoring the dog. Antoiniette licks her then, making Kashi's head snap over. She drops to the floor and bounds over to Mori, unfazed by the dog.

"See," Tamaki says as Kashi jumps into Mori's lap and curls into a ball, "nothing to worry about."

Alex does relax a bit, even reaches out to pat Antoiniette on the head. The dog puts her front two paws in Alex's lap and licks her face. She can't help the giggle that escapes her as she turns her face away. "Ew, gross," she says as she's laughing.

"I think Antoiniette has taking a liking to the girls," Kaoru says with a laugh as Antoiniette jumps up in between Haruhi and Alex, taking turns licking their faces. The girls laugh and push the dog back onto the floor. Unfazed, she curls into a ball at their feet, still panting happily.

"Alright, down to business," Tamaki says now that his dog had settled down.

"Right," the twins say, producing packages from the bags they'd brought.

What followed was a fury of gifts, boxes and wrapping paper. They listened to music and drink hot chocolate and eat cookies and cake (much to Honey's delight). Alex could almost believe that she was back home if it wasn't for the servants waiting on them or the fine couch she was sitting on, or the fact that no one from her family was even remotely near her. Still, though, she felt so…at home, which she hadn't felt in years.

"Earth to Alex," Karou says, waving a hand in front of her face.

Alex blinks and refocuses on the room, realizing then that everyone was staring at her. "Oh, sorry," she says bashfully.

"Where do you go to in that head of yours," Karou says with a small smile knocking Alex lightly on the head.

Alex, chuckling slightly, swats his hand away. "I was just thinking about something. Nothing to worry about."

No one asked what she'd been thinking about. They could guess.

"Oh, wait, Areku-chan, we've got one more present for you," Honey says as Antoiniette bounds around him, her new collar jingling as she moved her neck (Tamaki had gotten Kashi and Antoiniette matching collars, so now they both had bells attached to their necks).

Alex raises her eyebrows. She'd already gotten some new books, clothes, and music from them, what else could they give her?

"Right," Tamaki says, his eyes glittering. He walks over to a side table and opens the drawer, pulling out a small ox wrapped in silver paper.

"We all chipped in to pay for it," Kaoru says, settling in on Alex's other side.

"Except for Haruhi," Hikaru says, almost teasingly.

Haruhi rolls her eyes. "It was my idea."

Alex shakes her head but takes the box. "You guys really didn't have to—"

"Open it!" nearly all of them shout at once, making Alex jump a little. She relaxed immediately, though, and gives a small smile before looking down at the box. When she opens it, her smile grows into a grin.

It's a charm bracelet, with eight charms on it. Seven of them are roses—pink, navy, light blue, orange, white, red, and violet—and the eighth charm being the Japanese symbol for the letter A. The charms were flat, having silver backs and the roses having a slight hint of sparkles embedded in them.

"Wow," Alex says softly, not really knowing what else to say. She swallowed around the lump in her throat, holding the bracelet like it was the most precious thing in the world and looks up at smiles aimed at her. "Thank you."

"We thought that we should be represented too," Tamaki says. Alex can't help but rest a hand on the bracelets from her siblings, which she wore on her left wrist with their new Christmas charms glittering on them.

Kaoru holds out his hand. "May I?"

Alex nods wordlessly and holds out her bare right wrist. Kaoru fastens the bracelet, his fingers lingering on the inside of her wrist and making her shiver slightly. She takes her hand back, hoping that she wasn't blushing. When she looks up, and can't help but notice Kyoya watching them closely, Hikaru too.

She clears her throat. "This is really too much, guys. First my room and now…"

"It's no problem, really," Honey says sweetly, cuddling Kashi in his arms and making the bell on her collar jingle. "You're one of us now, right?"

Alex had to blink back tears at that. She smiles at him, her fingers resting lightly on her new bracelet.

"Okay, I think we should play a game," Tamaki says, probably seeing how emotional Alex was about to get if there was anything more said about her present.

Being here, with the Host Club, it was easy to forget just exactly who she was and why she was there. Recently, though, it had all been coming back to her. They were acting as if she were going to be here forever, but the truth of the matter is, one day, she'd be gone. She knew it as well as she knew that the Earth was round. The more she hung around them, even, the more she was reminded of why she didn't get close to people. They thought that she was going to stay around, that they'd have forever. But they don't. They never do. Alex would be gone the next day before they could even blink.

The room, the bracelet….they were permanent things, it felt like. Big things that made Alex simultaneously very happy and very sad. It seemed like they'd forgotten that she was just here for a little while. The bad thing is, though, that Alex was starting to forget that too.

* * *

"Hey, Alex, wait up," a voice calls behind them.

Kyoya and Alex turn around. They'd been on their way out of the house, about to go back to the Ootori house, when Kaoru came jogging over to them.

"What is it, Kaoru?" Alex asks curiously.

"Um," Kaoru glances at Kyoya, almost nervously. "Can I talk to you alone?"

 _Uh oh_. In Alex's experience, those words never meant anything good.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Alex says, confused. She glances at Kyoya, who nods and walks out the door, leaving the Kaoru and Alex alone in the foyer. "What's up?" she asks when the door closes behind him.

"Um…" Kaoru looks down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just wondering…"

"Yeah?" Alex pushes, shifting Kashi's carrier resulting in a small jingle from the bell. She'd already decided that that was going to get very annoying very quickly.

"Uh…" he seems slightly put off by the bell, like it was distracting his thoughts. Finally, though, he sighs and looks up into Alex's eyes. "Will you go on a date with me?"

 **Just a little cliff hanger for ya. Haha, hope you enjoyed the chapter, anyway.**

 **I've got a majority of the rest of this fic outlined (more or less) but filling in the details is proving to be a bit of a challenge, so I apologize if things are a bit all over the place. I'll find my groove again eventually! I'm also working through my last year of high school (yikes) so I'll get chapters to you guys as soon as I can!**

 **As always, please review! It makes my day. And don't be afraid to give some criticism, knowing what I should work on will help to make my writing better, hopefully. I'm all ears!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21

**HI! I'm back from the dead!**

 **I hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween if you celebrated it!**

 **This chapter has some…things that happen so I hope you enjoy!**

What was she doing? Why did she agree to this? What was she thinking?

The questions would stop running through Alex's mind as she got ready, putting on a purple wool dress that fell down to her knees, black jeans and laced up boots. She slipped her locket over her head and fastened on her three charm bracelets. She curled her hair and put on the white knitted hat carefully so as not to mess it all up.

She hadn't been on a date in years. Not since Jeffery Hudson took her to the movies when she was twelve (exactly three months before The Accident). She wasn't sure she remembered the proper etiquette for a date. When was it okay to start holding hands? What were they going to do if they ran into someone they knew? Did he expect her to kiss him?

God, she hoped not. She was not the most experienced kisser in the world.

Ally was going to kill her. She was going to somehow find a way to murder Alex all the way here in Japan for not telling her about this. In time, anyway. Alex had sent a letter as soon as she'd gotten back from Tamaki's house, but a return letter wouldn't get there in time for the date.

Alex fidgeted with her outfit as she thought back to when Kaoru had asked her out, trying to figure out how in the world this had happened.

* * *

"Will you go on a date with me?"

Alex could feel her mouth hang open in shock for a moment before he mind caught up with her slightly and she closed it. "Uh…"

"I know it's sudden," Kaoru says bashfully, "but, well, I've been working up asking you for a while and…well…"

Alex just stood there. She didn't know how to respond.

"It's okay if you say no," Kaoru says, interpreting her silence. "I understand…"

"No, no," Alex says, then bites her lips. "I mean…that's not my response…I mean…" she grips Kashi's carrier. "I…um…sure."

Kaoru blinks. "What?"

The words had tumbled out of Alex's mouth before she could stop them. "Yeah, I mean why not? It sounds like fun."

Slowly, Kaoru smiles. "Great. So…Friday night then?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Alex says, giving him a shy smile in return.

* * *

"Miss?" Sarrii poked her head into Alex's room. "Mister Hitachiin is here."

"Okay. Um. I'll be out in a moment," Alex tells her. Sarrii smiles and nods before closing the door again, leaving Alex alone.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Why was she doing this again? Did she even like Kaoru like that?

She didn't know. That was the reason, she supposed. This was a way of figuring that out. Wasn't it?

Sighing she shakes her head. Overthinking this wasn't going to help her at all. She didn't know her feelings for Kaoru any better than she had for Jeffery all those years ago and she'd ended up having a great time. They'd dated all the way up until…

She pushes the thoughts out of her mind. She didn't need that in her head now. Taking another breath, she throws her messenger bag over her head and goes to the lounge where Kaoru was waiting.

It was strange, seeing him without Hikaru. It was like there was a space next to him that should be filled but wasn't. Those thoughts, though, left her head when he turned to look at her.

It was like she was the only person in the room. His eyes soaked her in like a beggar seeing food for the first time in months, and Alex should know. "You look…amazing," he says.

She smiles bashfully, feeling her face heat up. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." He was wearing a white and black stripped shirt that looked more black than white, a black jacket, white scarf and black slacks and boots.

"Alright you two get out of here," Sarrii says, ushering them towards the door.

Kaoru chuckles and reaches out a hand to Alex, almost shyly. "Shall we?"

Alex smiles, feeling her cheeks go pink again as she takes his hand. He pulls her towards the door, where there was a car waiting.

* * *

Sarrii smiles as she watches the couple walk out the door, the young Hitachiin telling Miss Alex a joke that makes her giggle. She hadn't seen Alex so happy since she arrived at the Ootori household.

"Where are those two off to?" a voice says from behind her.

She turns and sees Master Kyoya leaning against the doorway, the light reflecting his glasses making it impossible to see his eyes. She blinks at him. How long had he been there? "Surely Miss Alex told you about the date she had planned for Master Kaoru Hitachiin?"

"She did," Kyoya mumbles, though he doesn't sound too happy about it.

Sarrii didn't think much of it. Kyoya was always grumpy about one thing or another. It seemed to be an Ootori trait. The only Ootori child who didn't seem to get annoyed at everything was Miss Fuyumi.

"I meant what are their plans? Where are they going?" Kyoya asks, his tone sharp and too familiar.

"Well I was talking with Master Kaoru and he told me that he planned to take her to see a film," Sarrii says, not being able to keep the small smile on her face. "When I commented that it was so casual, he said that she deserved to something small and mundane for once. Can't say I disagree with him, what with Miss Alex's background. Coming to a place like this must still surprise her sometimes. I think it's great that Mister Kaoru is trying to make her feel more comfortable and at home."

Sarrii turned to look at Kyoya, to see his reaction or add to her statement, but she didn't get to do either one, because when she looked at the door way, Master Kyoya was gone.

* * *

"Oh man, I can't remember the last time I saw a movie in the theater," Alex says as she looks up at the board showing the different movies playing.

"I have to warn you, they'll all be in Japanese," Kaoru says, giving the clerk money for their tickets.

Alex shrugs. "It'll be a new experience then," she says with a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's get inside. It's freezing."

When they walk inside, Alex is hit with the smell of popcorn. She stops and takes in a deep breath, feeling herself smile despite herself. Freshly popped popcorn was something she hadn't smelled in…a long, long time.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed Kaoru smiling at her. "What?" she asks playfully.

Kaoru chuckles and shakes his head. "Nothing," he mutters. "Want to get some snacks before the movie starts."

Alex looks around the crowded theater. "How about we divide and conquer?" she suggests. "I could go save us some seats, or buy the snacks, whichever you—"

"I'll buy the snacks," Kaoru says. "That's a great idea. Here," he hands her a ticket.

As Alex makes her way inside the theater—grabbing two seats right in the middle, towards the top—she thinks she spots a familiar face sitting not too far away. When she turns, though, she only saw two people sitting with their heads together, like they were sharing a secret. The person closest to her, a boy she thought, had his hood up over his head.

She didn't think much of it, didn't think it weird that he would have his hood up when he was going to be in a dark theater for two hours. Alex could relate, wanting to feel like she was the only other person in the room. So she turned away without a second thought, just as Kaoru walked into the theater and spotted her. She smiled as he struggled with the popcorn and drinks, so she got up to help him.

"No, no, I've got it," he says as he almost drops the bucket of popcorn. Laughing, Alex catches it and takes it into her own arms.

"Come on, I've got us some seats," she says, leading him back to the row she'd chosen. She couldn't help but notice, though, that the two people who had been a few seats over where gone.

 _Must have thought of a better place to sit_ , Alex thinks, turning her attention to Kaoru. _Or they snuck off before the movie even started, whichever_.

* * *

"Ow! Hikaru get your elbow out of my ribs!"

"Oh, sorry Haruhi. Hey, look out they're turning this way!"

Haruhi sighs and ducks behind the corner of the building she and Hikaru were hiding behind.

How had she'd ended up here?

* * *

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please Haruhi?"

Haruhi sighs. "Hikaru why can't you just ask Kaoru to go with you? Where is he anyway?"

Hikaru sighs and leans against the wall of Haruhi's sitting room. "He and Alex are on a date tonight."

"Huh?" that was news to her. When did that happen?

"Yeah I was as surprised as you are," Hikaru says, staring up at the ceiling with his hands in his pockets. "He asked her at the Christmas party last week. He was all proud of himself for asking her, said he'd been wanting to all semester. Could have fooled me." It was clear in his tone that he was hurt his brother hadn't confided in him about his crush on Alex, and even more so that he hadn't figured it out himself.

It was probably this realization more than anything that had her asking, "Where do you want to go?"

* * *

Oh. Right.

Haruhi sighs, leaning her head against the wall. She and Hikaru had decided on a movie, thinking that it would be interesting, only to realize too late that it was the same movie Alex and Kaoru had chosen to go see.

"A movie. A movie of all places. Not exactly romantic," Hikaru muttered under his breath.

"Maybe not to you but it was right up Alex's alley," Haruhi says.

Hikaru rolls his eyes but tenses as the couple passes them. The movie had let out a few minutes ago, and the two of them had been the first out the door, not having watched the movie exactly. Hikaru had spent the entire time glancing over at Alex and Kaoru, who weren't doing anything but holding hands and watching the movie.

"I can't believe you actually did that," Alex laughs now, her laughter carrying all the way to them as she passes.

Kaoru laughs with her. "Well we thought it was a good idea in the first place…" his voice fades away as they get swallowed by the crowd.

Hikaru relaxes as soon as they're gone. "That was close." He says.

"So why did we wait around for them?" Haruhi asks.

Hikaru looks back at where Kaoru and Alex disappeared. "Come on," he says, ignoring her question, "let's go find something else to do."

* * *

Alex found that she enjoyed spending time with Kaoru. When he wasn't with Hikaru, he was a bit more shy and reserved, but it was appealing. He had a sense of humor that he didn't show with his brother around that was kind of refreshing and laid back.

There was something…off, though. She remembered being on date with Jeffery and feeling excited whenever they touched. Her heart hadn't stopped racing the entire time. With Kaoru, however, it felt more like…hanging out with a friend than an actual date.

Then again, what did she know? She hadn't been on a proper date in four years, and when she was dating Jeffery she'd been a clueless twelve year old. Weren't things supposed to change as you got older? Alex didn't know. She truly didn't. She wished more than ever that Ally were there, or that she'd had a chance to properly talk to her sister. She would know what Alex was feeling.

"Hey," Kaoru gently nudges her. "You're head's up in the clouds."

Alex blinked and gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry," she mutters.

Kaoru chuckles. "It's alright," he says. "So what do you think of Japan? I never asked."

"It's…different," Alex says with a small chuckle. "Defiantly not America, that's for sure." She sighs and looks up at the lit up buildings that were blocking the stars. "I like it, if that's what you're wondering," she tells him. "I like being away from everything. It's like all my troubles are far away and will leave me alone so long as I'm on the island." She shakes her head. "Of course I know that's not true, but it's a nice feeling. I feel…safe for once."

Kaoru studies her a moment before smiling and gently taking her hand. "I'm glad," he says, sounding like he meant it. "I'm glad that I could be a part of it."

There was something off with him too. It was like he wasn't entirely there either. He kept turning, as if looking for someone who wasn't there. Alex recognized that face, and it put a knot in her heart. So maybe this wasn't all in her head, at least.

Alex just smiles at him, and they continue walking on.

* * *

"I had a great time," Alex says as the Hitachiin car pulls up in front of the Ootori house.

Kaoru smiles at her, then he looks down at his hands. "This isn't going to work out, is it?" he asks.

Alex starts at that, but then she sighs. "I'm sorry," she says, feeling genuinely sorry that she couldn't like him the way he liked her.

"Did I not give a good impression?" Kaoru asked.

Alex shakes her head. "No, it's not that. You and Hikaru and Haruhi were the first people to ever really be kind to me when I came to Ouran, and the date really was fun. I haven't had a chance to just have a good time in what feels like a long time. I mean, no offence to the club but with everyone else around it can get pretty overwhelming especially when everyone's looking at me and making sure that I was having fun. This didn't feel like that."

Kaoru gives her a small smile. "We're that obvious, huh?"

Alex chuckles. "Incredibly. I don't mind it, though. It's nice to know y'all care."

He sits back in his seat and closes his eyes. "But this…we…couldn't work?"

"No," Alex says, looking out the window towards the Ootori house. "I think…I think neither one of us are ready, if I'm being honest."

Kaoru looks startled at that, and he turns fully towards her. "What do you mean?"

Alex gives him a small smile. "I noticed when you turned like you wanted to say something to Hikaru and then realized he wasn't there. You're used to having him by your side. I think you'll both have to learn how to be just Hikaru and just Kaoru before you can really bring other people into your lives romantically. Not that there's anything wrong with the bond you two have, though I do think you're a bit closer to being just Kaoru than Hikaru is to being just Hikaru."

Kaoru stares at her a moment, then shakes her head. "I don't understand how you can tell all of that."

"Because I've been through that before," Alex says with sad smile. "My siblings and I used to be inseparable, and these years without them have been torture. I feel…incomplete without them, not entirely myself, but there is a part of me that I've started to discover that I don't think I would have ever discovered with them always at my side and always trying to live up to the expectations of being in a set of triplets." She looks up at him with a small smile. "I like the Kaoru I spent the evening with," she says, "maybe, one day, I could even fall in love with him. But I know that as soon as I see you tomorrow, he'll be gone."

"You can't know that," Kaoru says, though he sounded as if even he doubted it.

Alex gives him a knowing look. "We all have different faces we put on," she says, "with friends, with family, in this case with clients." She looks away again. "You only know me as I've shown you, as I've been taught to act among the upper class. If you'd met me four years ago, you wouldn't have even given me a second look."

Kaoru sat back at that, a thoughtful look on his face. Before he could respond, Alex opened the door. "I should go," she says.

"Wait," Kaoru says, "let me walk you."

Alex smiles. "Ever the gentleman," she says as he gets out of the car beside her. They walk to the front door of the house and Alex turns to him. Before he could say anything, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for an amazing night Kaoru," she says as his face turns a light shade of pink. "I really did have a lot of fun."

Kaoru smiles bashfully. "I did too. Maybe…maybe we could do it again, but just as friends. I have to admit, I do like getting away from my brother sometimes."

Alex chuckles at that. "I'd like that."

They say goodnight and Alex goes inside while Kaoru walks back to the car, his hands in his pockets. When he was back in the car, his phone started ringing. When he looked at who it was, he sighed. "Hey Hikaru," he says. "Yeah, I'm on my way home now, why? What? Oh, what did you get yourself into this time…?"

* * *

Alex closed the door to her bedroom and let out a long breath. She hoped that what she'd said to Kaoru hadn't completely ruined their friendship. She really did like spending time with him, just not as a romantic partner.

Shaking her head, she walked over to her dresser, starting to take off her jewelry and shoes.

"Did you have a good time?"

She jumps and turns to see Kyoya in her doorway. She hadn't even heard the door open.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Alex says, taken aback by the question. "Kaoru and I went to see a movie and then we went for a walk and got some hot chocolate. It was nice."

"Just nice?" he asks, his voice strangely cold.

Alex narrows her eyes. "Yes, it was a nice evening. Why do you care anyway?" her own tone was sharper than probably necessary, but she didn't care.

"I would hope he showed you a good time," Kyoya goes on in that same cold tone. "Seeing as you didn't bother to tell anyone about your little evening."

Alex rolls her eyes. "I didn't know that my plans were any of your business."

"You're here for a reason, Alex," he says, "and my father told me to make sure you're being taken care of, so yes it is my business."

Alex turned to look at him. "No, it isn't," she says. "Mr. Ootori just wanted to make sure I didn't ruin his precious reputation, that's why he told you to look after me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and of making my own plans. I don't need to consult with you. Why do you care?"

Why was she fighting with him? Why did she feel like she needed to prove a point?

"Whatever," Kyoya says, walking into her room as if he owned it. Which, she supposed, by technicality he did. "Remember you have to finish the rough drafts for the magazines by the time school starts. Don't let your little romance with a club member get in the way of that."

Alex whirled on him. She didn't like his tone, as if he were mocking her. "What? Do you think that one of your buddies couldn't have feelings for me?" she asks. "Do you think you're all so big and important that none of you would have time for a little orphan like me? Well newsflash business boy, the only reason you get to live with such luxuries is because of your father's money without which you wouldn't be able to live. Do you even know how to use and oven?" she turns away from him. "You wouldn't survive ten minutes in the world I grew up in. the world I was thrown into."

She'd been walking to the bathroom, intending to change out of her dress, but all of a sudden she was whirled around and pushed against the wall beside her bathroom door. Kyoya pinned her wrists to the wall, making her drop her pajamas. "Don't talk to me like that," he says, his voice nearly a growl. "Don't you think I know you've had a less than perfect life? I'm reminded of it every day when I look at you. Don't you think that I know my privileges? It's that knowledge that serves me, that reminds me of who I am and what family I belong to."

Alex glared at him and shoved him off of her. He let go willingly, looking ever so slightly surprised with himself. "You mean it makes you better than everyone else," she shakes her head.

"No," Kyoya says, "it makes me more privileged than everyone else, and I'd be a moron to not take advantage of that." He levels his gaze at her. "Why do you care so much about that now? It never bothered you before."

Alex crosses her arms. "Maybe because I just spent the evening with someone who for once didn't care about appearances or how he was the most handsome person in the room. I'd nearly forgotten what it was like to just have a normal night out with someone."

"Well good for you," Kyoya nearly spat at her. "You found someone who could love you."

Alex shakes her head. "Why do you care so much? What does it have to do with you?"

Kyoya doesn't answer, but Alex wasn't about to let him walk away from this. "Why do you care so much about where I go and what I do? Why are you so upset about one little date that didn't even end in anything? Why do you care?" she was nearly shouting at this point, but Mr. Ootori and his two eldest sons were away and most of the servants had gone home, so it was just the two of them.

Kyoya looked startled about something. His eyes were wide and his shoulders relaxed slightly. "What do you mean it didn't end in anything?" he asks, his voice now soft, almost raw.

"Just that. He wasn't ready for a relationship and I just didn't feel a spark with him. Nothing else to it." She studies him for a moment, looking him up and down. "I'll ask again. Why do you care?"

Kyoya just shakes his head and walks over to her. "Kyoya, I want to know. You never give any straightforward answers so for once can you—" she was cut off by his mouth covering hers.

The last time she'd kissed anyone, it was with Jeffery. She remembered that it'd been slightly awkward and had gotten less so the more they'd done it. Still, though, she didn't remember feeling this. Butterflies in her stomach, heat traveling throughout her body, her skin tingling at where their skin met. Whatever she'd felt for Jeffery, this put it to shame.

It was all over within a few seconds, and for a moment they stared at each other, both of them too shocked to say anything. Alex's lips still tingled where Kyoya's had been and her heart raced a thousand miles a minute.

Kyoya didn't look any better. His face was a light shade of pink and his glasses were crooked. His eyes were as big as Alex had ever seen them.

Alex unfroze first before reaching a hand towards him. "Kyoya—"

But he was out of the room before she could finish.

 **There you have it!**

 **This has been the CRAZIEST October I've ever had in my life. I barely had time to sit down and breathe! It's nice to be back to just writing, so hopefully I can wrap up this story soon.**

 **Now I'm off to do the research essay I've been procrastinating on all day!**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


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